As the Miami Open final unfolded under the bright Florida sun—then under brooding rain clouds—tennis fans everywhere watched as Jannik Sinner chased a slice of history. With the match suspended due to rain and Sinner leading Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 0-0 (15/30), the Italian star stands on the cusp of becoming the first male player since Roger Federer in 2017 to clinch the coveted “Sunshine Double.” That means winning both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season—no small feat in the ATP Masters 1000 circuit.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for Sinner, currently ranked No. 2 in the world. His journey to this moment has been nothing short of electric. In the semifinals, Sinner dispatched Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), a match that showcased the Italian’s serving prowess and mental fortitude. Zverev, who will return to world No. 3 in the next rankings, threw everything he had at Sinner—blistering serves, aggressive net play, and relentless baseline exchanges. But Sinner, with 15 aces and a calm under pressure, held his ground. On the pivotal point in the second set tiebreak, Sinner’s lofted lob forced Zverev into an error, sealing the win and his spot in the final.
“Coming here and trying to produce some good tennis was my main goal, and standing here again in the final means very much to me,” Sinner said in his on-court interview after the Zverev match. “It has been an incredible swing, and I couldn’t be better. I’m very happy.”
Sinner’s path through the Miami Open has been marked by dominance and resilience. In the quarterfinals, he overwhelmed Frances Tiafoe 6-2, 6-2. Earlier, he outlasted Alex Michelsen in a tense match, twice clawing back from the brink. Sinner’s coach, Simone Vagnozzi, praised his charge’s evolution: “I think he’s playing better than last year. The serve. The volley.” The numbers back it up—Sinner has now won 32 consecutive sets at Masters 1000 events, setting a new record, and if he claims the final in straight sets, that streak will reach 34.
But the story in Miami isn’t just about Sinner’s tennis. Off the court, his life has drawn intrigue as well. His girlfriend, Laila Hasanovic—a model and entrepreneur who launched her self-tanner line NRD55 just before the tournament—wasn’t in Miami, but she sent a subtle message of support on social media with a simple heart emoji. Sinner, who values his privacy, addressed his approach to fame and relationships in a February 2024 interview with Vanity Fair Italia: “I like talking about tennis, and sports in general. But if you’re referring to my private life, it’s true, I want to keep it that way. I want to protect the people closest to me, keeping them out of all this.”
Hasanovic, a 2019 Miss Universe Denmark finalist, has honored Sinner’s wishes for privacy. The couple, who began dating in 2025, have kept their relationship largely out of the public eye, rarely posting about each other on social media. Sinner initially denied the relationship during the Italian Open in May 2025, telling reporters, “There’s a lot of attention. Also, off the court, I was surprised to see some pictures, which, nothing serious. I’m not in a relationship!” Yet, as the months passed, the two were seen together at major tournaments, including Wimbledon and the Nitto ATP Finals.
On the court, Sinner’s focus has been razor-sharp. The Miami Open final, held at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, was delayed by 90 minutes due to rain. Once play began, Sinner wasted no time asserting himself. He didn’t drop a single point behind his first serve in the opening set (16/16), according to Infosys ATP Stats, and broke Lehecka—who had not been broken all tournament—to take the set 6-4. Lehecka, the world No. 22, is playing in his first ATP Masters 1000 final and had saved all nine break points he faced in his previous five matches. But Sinner’s relentless pressure finally cracked the Czech’s defenses.
“Some stats, they are just not relevant. Winning sets doesn’t mean anything—you need to win the match,” Sinner said after his quarterfinal win over Tiafoe. Still, the record for consecutive sets won is a testament to his consistency and mental toughness. Sinner’s coaches, Vagnozzi and Darren Cahill, have emphasized that behind his even-tempered demeanor, Sinner “burns hot.” His serve in 2026 has been especially formidable, bailing him out even when his baseline game falters.
This run has special significance for Sinner, who is eager to reclaim the world No. 1 ranking he held between February 2024 and September 2025. His journey hasn’t been without controversy—Sinner missed February, March, and April 2025 due to a three-month doping suspension after testing positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, at Indian Wells in 2024. A tribunal found him to bear “no fault or negligence,” citing accidental contamination from a healing cream applied by a member of his support team. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed, but Sinner and WADA ultimately settled on the three-month suspension. The episode left Sinner with no ranking points to defend for those months in 2026, giving him a unique chance to rack up points and close the gap with current world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
“The ranking is a consequence of how someone plays, right?” Sinner reflected after his semifinal win. “I know the opportunities, I know where I’m standing.” He’s acutely aware of the scenarios—every tournament, every match, every set matters in the race to the top. With Alcaraz exiting early in Miami, Sinner is poised to make a significant dent in the points gap as the clay-court season looms.
Fans eager to watch this historic final can catch the action live on Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel 2, with streaming options available on Fubo, DirecTV, and Tennis TV Premium. The men’s singles final broadcast is set for 3 p.m. Eastern, though rain delays have already pushed the schedule back. Play is scheduled to resume not before 6:15 p.m. local time.
With the Miami Open final still in progress and Sinner holding a slim lead, the tennis world waits with bated breath. Will Sinner complete the Sunshine Double and etch his name alongside legends? Or will Lehecka pull off a stunning upset in his maiden Masters 1000 final? One thing’s for sure—this Miami showdown is serving up drama, history, and heart, with plenty more to come when the rain finally lets up.