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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 24: Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts against Alex Michelsen of the United States during day 8 of the Miami open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 24, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Rich Storry<\/p>\n
Getty Images<\/p>\n
Jannik Sinner grew up in the Italian Alps, the son of a ski lodge chef and waitress, and was a promising ski racer before focusing on tennis.<\/p>\n
Jiri Lehecka was raised by schoolteachers in a small village north of Prague in the Czech Republic, urged to focus on academics and play as many sports as possible and treat them as hobbies.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, No. 2 ranked Sinner and No. 22 Lehecka meet in the Miami Open men\u2019s final at 3 p.m. at Hard Rock Stadium. It is a battle of reserved, thoughtful 24-year-olds who arrived at the top echelon of their sport with blue collar beginnings.<\/p>\n
Sinner, the 2024 Miami Open champion, could become the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the Sunshine Double (Indian Wells and Miami titles back-to-back). He is on a record streak of 32 consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 tournaments, breaking Novak Djokovic\u2019s record by eight.<\/p>\n
Lehecka is aiming for his first Masters 1000 title and with a win, would join Ivan Lendl (1986, 1989) and last year\u2019s winner Jakub Mensik as the only Czech champions in tournament history.<\/p>\n
Both players have credited their parents\u2019 stress-free approach to tennis for their success.<\/p>\n
When Sinner won his first Miami Open in 2024, he said his parents continued to work and travel only to a handful of his tournaments. \u201cThey will continue to do their life, and I will do my life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Lehecka, who grew up in a small village 30 minutes north of Prague, was a multi-sport athlete whose father was a professional swimmer. His mother did track and field.<\/p>\n
His grandparents lived next door, and the family had two tennis courts in their yard. As a child, he dabbled in cycling, swimming, soccer, running, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, and tennis.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents never wanted me to specialize in just one sport,\u201d Lehecka said Friday, after advancing to the final with a convincing 6-2, 6-2 win over Arthur Fils of France. \u201cFor them, it was basically a hobby until I was 14, 15 years old. For them, school was always the priority. Tennis was something I did because I liked it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lehecka is proud of the fact that he has excelled in tennis with no pressure from his family.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy parents were never like those ambitious parents who saw their kid being nine years old and they saw the kid being 18 and winning Grand Slams,\u201d he said. \u201cThat wasn\u2019t my parents. They wanted me to do sports because it\u2019s a good thing to do, because it\u2019s healthy and a good lifestyle. Sometimes, when I think about it, it\u2019s funny that I sit here now.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can see there are other ways to be successful without specializing in one sport. When I was 10, 12, tennis wasn\u2019t the only thing I knew how to do, so I\u2019m glad my parents did it this way, and I think it\u2019s a good way to raise children.\u201d<\/p>\n
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MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA – MARCH 24: Jiri Lehecka of Czechia reacts after defeating Taylor Fritz of the United States during day 8 of the Miami open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 24, 2026 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry\/Getty Images) Rich Storry Getty Images <\/p>\n
Whatever it is that Sinner\u2019s and Lehecka\u2019s parents did seems to have worked.<\/p>\n
Sinner and Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz have separated themselves as the players to beat and their rivalry is one of the best in the game now. The Italian is 102-2 against players ranked outside the Top 20 since the 2023 U.S. Open.<\/p>\n
Sinner advanced to the Miami Open final with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) win over No. 4 Alexander Zverev on Friday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very happy that I can play one more final here in Miami,\u201d said Sinner, who missed last year\u2019s tournament while serving a three-month drug suspension, \u201cIt has been an incredible place since the first day I was here. I have played some great tennis here in the past and now I\u2019m finding myself again. But on Sunday it\u2019s going to be a very tough match.\u201d<\/p>\n
He is 3-0 against Lehecka, who has not ever won a set off Sinner, but Lehecka, who moves up to a career-high No. 14 in the next rankings, is admittedly playing the best tournament of his life this week.<\/p>\n
He has been rolling through most opponents with his powerful serve, speed and shot selection. Lehecka said his consistency has been the difference this season. He put in extra work on the court and the gym in the off-season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe work we did in the last two or three months is paying off right now,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Despite his undefeated record against the Czech, Sinner says he expects a different Lehecka on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is definitely a court that suits him very well and then how he plays tennis is a very flat-hitting forehand and backhand, and he\u2019s serving very well,\u201d Sinner said. \u201cHe\u2019s a very, very aggressive player and this is perfect conditions for him. He\u2019s played incredible tennis throughout the whole week here, so he doesn\u2019t have anything to lose. I\u2019m in a different position.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the men\u2019s doubles final Saturday, No. 7 seeded Italians Simone Bolelli and Andrea Vavassori beat No. 4 Harri Heliovaara (FIN) and Henry Patten (GBR) 6-4, 6-2. It was the first Masters 1000 title for the Italian duo, who had reached Grand Slam doubles finals at the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open and 2025 French Open. Bolelli, 40, became the first Italian man in the Open Era to win 20 doubles titles.<\/p>\n
This story was originally published March 28, 2026 at 3:56 PM.<\/p>\n