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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Sinner tops Lehecka, joins Sabalenka with 'Sunshine Double' triumph

Sinner tops Lehecka, joins Sabalenka with 'Sunshine Double' triumph

Published Mar 31, 2026 02:30 pm
Jannik Sinner of Italy hoists the Butch Buchholz trophy after defeating Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic in the men's singles final at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
Jannik Sinner of Italy hoists the Butch Buchholz trophy after defeating Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic in the men's singles final at the Miami Open tennis tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)
MIAMI GARDENS, Florida (AP) — Jannik Sinner rolled to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jiri Lehecka to capture the Miami Open title and complete the “Sunshine Double’’ on Sunday, March 30, a day after Aryna Sabalenka accomplished the same feat in a win over Coco Gauff.
The last male player to complete the double — winning Indian Wells followed by Miami in the same season — was Roger Federer in 2017. Sinner is the first male to do so without dropping a set in either tournament.
“It’s very, very special moment,’’ Sinner said. “Coming here, performing in a good way after Indian Wells, means a lot to me. Physically, it’s tough when you come here (from California). You’re a little bit tired, but the motivation is very high.’’
The second-seeded Sinner didn't let either of the two 90-minute rain delays slow him. He notched 10 aces in the final, and 70 in the tournament for the second-most of his career. He often had No. 21 Lehecka running from side to side with his precise, deep groundstrokes.
Sinner, 24, won his first 23 first-service points — a streak that lasted midway into the second set.
He became the eighth male to run the table at Indian Wells and Miami, and he and Sabalenka became the first to accomplish the double in the same year since Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka in 2016.
This was Sinner's second Miami Open title in three years as he ran his Hard Rock Stadium win streak to 12 matches dating to 2024. Last year, he missed the tournament serving a suspension for testing positive for a banned substance.
“It has been on my mind,’’ Sinner said on Tennis Channel of missing last year’s events. “I missed these type of tournaments. These are very important weeks.’’
Lehecka, 24, in his first ATP 1000 final, was a big underdog, losing all three prior matches to Sinner.
Top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz was upset by Sebastian Korda in three sets in the third round, and Djokovic skipped the event due to a right shoulder ailment.
The rain pushed the earlier women’s doubles final to the grandstand court. The doubles was won by Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova, who beat Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini 7-6 (7-0), 6-1. Townsend-Siniakova also claimed the double for women’s doubles — the first time since 2019.

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