Match Reaction
Sinner shifts focus after Miami title: ‘A new chapter starts’
World No. 2 previews clay swing following ‘Sunshine Double’ triumph
March 30, 2026
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner is the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’.
By Jerome Coombe
Jannik Sinner, true to his relentless mindset, is already looking ahead rather than lingering on the magnitude of his latest achievement.
By clinching titles at both Indian Wells and Miami, the World No. 2 became the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the coveted ‘Sunshine Double’. Still, after his final win over Jiri Lehecka in South Florida on Sunday, Sinner’s attention quickly shifted to what comes next: the spring clay swing.
“For me, now the most important thing is to recover and enjoy this moment,” said Sinner, who is scheduled to compete at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters, which begins Sunday. “I don’t have a lot of time to adjust, playing on clay, if I want to play Monaco. I have always been someone who thinks in a very present moment. I don’t look in front, but I also don’t look backwards.
“Whatever comes, comes. I’m very happy about these couple of tournaments, and now a new chapter starts with the clay again. Let’s see how it goes.”
With his dominant run through March — where he did not drop a set en route to titles in Indian Wells and Miami — Sinner has also tightened the battle with Carlos Alcaraz for the World No. 1 spot. He now trails his Spanish rival by just 1,190 points in the PIF ATP Rankings.
While the rankings conversation continues to build, Sinner was quick to downplay its significance, keeping the emphasis on his own level.
“I think it’s all individual, our sport, that it’s very tough,” Sinner said. “The big picture for me is depending on how I play, and that should be the ranking, no? Carlos, he has been so consistent for so, so long. Now we go on clay, where we all know how strong he is there.”
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Reflecting on his recent success, Sinner pointed to one key factor behind his surge: his serve. Across six matches in Miami, he dropped serve just once and extended his record to 34 consecutive sets won at Masters 1000 level.
“It has to be the serve,” Sinner responded when asked what he was most pleased about during his run through March. “Especially this week, [I have been] serving very well. When you tend to get a little bit tired physically, but you have some free points, the serve helps you a lot.
“This month I feel like here I was serving better than Indian Wells, but we worked a lot to be in this position. Now, on clay, the serve, you need to use it in a very different way. You cannot go only flat. Let’s see how that works. But at the moment, I also want to enjoy this moment.”
Sinner departs Miami with a 19-2 record in 2026, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index. After his semi-final defeat to Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open and quarter-final loss to Jakub Mensik in Doha, the 24-year-old has responded emphatically, increasing the pressure on Alcaraz at the top of the game.
Next up is Monte-Carlo, where Sinner has reached back-to-back semi-finals in 2023 and 2024. The first clay-court Masters 1000 event of the season begins Sunday in Monaco.