Over the last two years and change, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner have traded the throne at the top of men's tennis. In 2026, the two young superstars have already gone back and forth once again.
After Alcaraz started the season with an Australian Open crown to complete the career grand slam, Sinner swiftly responded during one of the most iconic swings on the calendar. After winning his first Indian Wells title two weeks ago, Sinner rolled through the Miami Open and defeated Jiri Lehecka, 6-4 6-4, on Sunday to complete the famed Sunshine Double.
But that's not all. Sinner took it a step further during his dominant run, winning all 12 of his matches across the two tournaments in straight sets. He is now the first man or woman to ever win the Sunshine Double without conceding a set along the way.
He is the eighth man overall to win both Indian Wells and Miami in the same year and the first since Roger Federer did it in 2017. Novak Djokovic holds the overall record, having completed the double four times.
Sinner's set streak in Masters 1000 tournaments spans even longer than that. Dating back to the start of his title run at the Rolex Paris Masters last fall, the four-time grand slam champion has now won 34 consecutive sets at Masters 1000 level, shattering Djokovic's previous record of 24.
Lehecka, the No. 21-seeded Czech, completed a stellar run to his first Masters 1000 final that included upset wins over Taylor Fritz and Arthur Fils. However, he was no match for Sinner's elite serving and opportune returning during Sunday's rain-delayed final.
Sinner, whose last loss at Masters 1000 level came last October to Tallon Griekspoor in Shanghai, will look to keep his streak going at the Monte Carlo Masters during the second week of April. Monte Carlo marks the start of the clay-court season, so it will be a bit of an adjustment in a short period of time for the Italian. However, the current ATP No. 2 will reclaim the No. 1 ranking if he can lift the title in Monaco.
