Jannik Sinner It’s a winning machine. The Italian won his third title of the year on Sunday and the first at the Miami Masters 1000 with an unobjectionable 6-3, 6-1 victory against Grigor Dimitrov. He only needed one hour and 13 minutes to defeat a Bulgarian who arrived confident, after an unforgettable week, but who could do little against the seamless and relentless tennis of his rival. The one born in San Candido added his 22nd victory in 23 games played in 2024, he made sure to make a small but very important jump in the ranking and confirmed that he is a serious candidate – perhaps the greatest – to fight for leadership against Novak Djokovic.
“I am very proud of the result,” said Sinner, who also won his second crown in this category, after Toronto 2023. “I started struggling a little this week. I didn’t have much time to adapt to this course, so at first I knew it was going to be difficult. As the tournament progressed, I felt better and better. The performance in the final was very, very good. I’m proud of how I handled the situation. It wasn’t easy, so it’s been a very, very good two weeks. “This title means a lot to me, but the most important thing is my performance.”
Jannik made history about the cement complex of the Hard Rock Stadium. Because he became the first Italian to win the title of the second Masters 1000 on the calendar, in what was his third final (he had lost in those of 2021 and 2023). And because he also became the first racket from his country to reach the second step of the world ranking, from which he displaced this Monday the Spanish Carlos Alcaraz.
“Being number two in the world is incredible, I never thought I would reach this point. I come from a very normal family, my parents are still working. Sport is one thing and life is different. I am very happy to be in this position, I enjoy every moment,” analyzed Sinner, who also wrote his name in some unique tennis statistics, in which he was in very good company.
Champion in January in the Australian Open (his first Grand Slam) and in February in Rotterdamis the fourth player aged 23 or younger to win three titles in the first three months of a calendar year, after Lleyton Hewitt (2000), Roger Federer (2004) y Andy Murray (2009). And he is also the first tennis player to lift the trophy in Melbourne and Miami in the same season since the Swiss did so in 2017.
These achievements may seem inconsequential (or unimportant compared to the others they have been achieving), but they do nothing more than ratify the hierarchy of a player called to do great things and identified from the beginning as a potential number one.
In Sunday’s final, he knew how to dominate at will a Dimitrov who had played the entire tournament at a superlative level and who had just achieved three victories against top 10 – the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (9th) in the round of 16, Alcaraz (2nd) in the quarterfinals and the German Alexander Zverev (5th) in semis-. And that he was excited about also winning his second Masters 1000, after Cincinnati 2017.
The illusion lasted only a few games for the Bulgarian. Five to be exact, which were what Sinner needed to settle on the court and get his first break. With the score 3-2 in favor, the Italian had no problems closing the first set in 42 minutes. And he took second by an even greater difference, given the helplessness of his rival, who could not hurt with her great tennis and her exquisite one-handed backhand.
Dimitrov was left empty-handed, but left with a smile. Because he had an enormous performance in the tournament and, at 32 years old, he secured his return to the group of the top ten in the ranking (he is ninth), a position that he had not occupied since October 2018.
And Sinner, who won 25 of his last 26 games (counting the three in the Finals of the Davis Cup 2023in which he also shouted champion), confirmed that those who claim – as Alcaraz did a few days ago – that today he is the best player in the world and the rival to beat are not wrong.
What is the key to your (almost) perfect moment?
“Keep your head in the present. I started the season really well. I never thought about starting like this, but it means I have to stay in the moment. The past, the past is. Every tournament is a new opportunity. That’s how I see it. I have a great team with me that pushes me to be better. We know what we have to improve. Now comes the clay tour, where I usually suffer,” analyzed the Italian.
But although what is coming is a stretch of the season in which he does not usually perform at his best level (only one of his 13 titles was won on clay, Umag in 2022), he aims high.
“I don’t have much time to adapt to this surface. But the main goal is Roland Garros. Before we have Rome, a really special tournament for me. It’s always amazing to play in front of the home crowd. I have the feeling that I have learned a lot of things this last year and that I can do better,” he anticipated.
And he assured that the main change he experienced in recent months was not mental or tennis, but physical.
“We have worked a lot in the gym, and that helps you on the court, mentally. You know that you can play for hours and maintain the level. I also improved my serve, something that helps a lot. From the tactical side, trying to understand how to play against certain player helps me a lot. Darren (Cahill) y Simone (Vagnozzi) are doing an amazing job with me. They understand what I need to improve, the combination is very good,” she reflected.
Sinner acknowledged that he did not expect a 2024 like the one he is experiencing. Although these enormous results are not a big surprise to him.
“I felt like I was prepared to do very well this year. I had a great preseason, great final last year. Beating Novak twice (in the ATP Finals and in the Davis Cup) was very important. I had very consistent weeks, I felt prepared to achieve great results. I’m just trying to improve and also enjoy the moment, because you never know if it’s the last time you’re going to win or not,” analyzed the Italian, the winning machine that made history in Miami.
Sebastián Báez, the best Argentine
This Monday’s ATP ranking update then showed that small big jump for Sinner. The Italian settled behind the Serbian Novak Djokovic (9,725) with 8,710 pointsafter adding 400 units in Miami, while Alcaraz was left with 8,645 after losing 160.
The Russian Daniil Medvedevwho lost in the semifinals against Sinner, fell to 7,165 points but maintained fifth place ahead of the German Alexander Zverev (5,415), while the Bulgarian breaks into the ‘top 10’ Grigor Dimitrovexecutioner of Alcaraz and finalist this Sunday in Miami, now ninth.
The Argentinian Sebastian Baez He remains the best in the Albiceleste Legion in 19th place and also the best South American, above the Chilean Nicolás Jarry, who rose to 22nd.
Francisco Cerúndolo and Tomás Martín Etcheverry are placed at 23rd and 30th.
This is the ATP ranking with this Monday’s update
1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 9725 puntos
2. Jannik Sinner (ITA) 8710 (+1)
3. Carlos Alcaraz (ESP) 8645 (-1)
4. Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 7165
5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 5415
6. Andrey Rublev (RUS) 4890
7. Holger Rune (DEN) 3795
8. Casper Ruud (NOR) 3615
9. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 3540 (+3)
10. Hubert Hurkacz (POL) 3425 (-1)
11. Alex De Minaur (AUS) 3355 (-1)
12. Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE) 3175 (-1)
13. Taylor Fritz (USA) 2765
14. Ugo Humbert (FRA) 2425 (+1)
15. Tommy Paul (USA) 2350 (-1)
16. Ben Shelton (USA) 2260 (+1)
17. Karen Khachanov (RUS) 2005 (-1)
18. Alexander Bublik (KAZ) 1992
19. Sebastián Báez (ARG) 1980
The rest of the Argentines in the Top 100 of the ATP
23. Francisco Cerundolo (ARG) 1,715 (-2)
30. Tomás Etcheverry (ARG) 1,310
55. Facundo Díaz Acosta (ARG) 943
60. Mariano Navone (ARG) 883 (-1)
78. Pedro Cachín (ARG) 733 (+1)
88. Federico Coria (ARG) 687
2024-04-01 11:44:21
#reasons #great #threat #Djokovics #reign
