Jannik Sinner Defeats Alexander Zverev in Miami to Reach Second Straight Final

Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in the Miami Open semifinals on Friday, advancing to Sunday's final where he will face Czech 21st seed Jiri Lehecka. The Italian world No. 2 extended his winning streak over the German to seven consecutive matches, having also beaten Zverev in the Indian Wells semifinals two weeks earlier. Sinner now stands one victory away from becoming the first man since Roger Federer in 2017 to claim the so-called "Sunshine Double" — winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same year. The match was watched from the stands by Brazilian football icon Ronaldo.

Missed overhead at 4-4 proved the turning point Zverev, the world No. 4, came into the match with an adjusted game plan, playing more aggressively and serving strongly throughout. The first set went to Sinner comfortably, but the second was tightly contested before a pivotal moment in the tiebreak swung the match decisively. At 4-4 in the tiebreak, Zverev hit an overhead smash into the net, a miss he identified afterward as the decisive error. „I think the second set could have gone either way. I had the feeling that I was becoming really dominant from the baseline. The missed overhead shot was of course very unfortunate. That decided the tiebreak in the end. I lost sight of the ball a little, jumped up and mistimed it. That's the way it is. We keep going.” — Alexander Zverev via Die Welt Sinner, for his part, credited his serving in the key moments as the difference. „That was a tough match today. He played incredibly well, but I served very well at the end, especially in the crucial moments.” — Jannik Sinner via N-tv The Italian added that the win meant "a great deal" to him.

Sinner's Masters streak reaches 32 consecutive sets The victory allowed Sinner to extend his own record at ATP Masters 1000 events to 32 consecutive sets won, a remarkable run of dominance at the sport's elite level below the Grand Slams. The Miami Open final will be Sinner's fourth appearance in the championship match in five visits to the tournament, and he already won the title there in 2024. His opponent on Sunday, Jiri Lehecka, reached his first career Masters 1000 final by dismantling Arthur Fils 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal. The 24-year-old Czech, seeded 21st, produced a commanding performance against the Frenchman. 32 (consecutive sets) — Sinner's record winning streak at Masters 1000 tournaments Last year, fellow Czech Jakub Mensik also caused a surprise by winning the Miami title, according to Der Tagesspiegel.

Zverev climbs to world No. 3, displacing Djokovic Despite the defeat, Zverev's semifinal run carries a significant ranking reward: the ATP confirmed that the 28-year-old German will move back up to world No. 3 next week, displacing Novak Djokovic. A victory in Miami would have allowed Zverev to reach the final there for the first time since 2018. The tournament carries total prize money of 9.4 million US dollars. For Sinner, a win on Sunday would deliver a second Miami title and complete the Sunshine Double, a feat no man has achieved since Federer accomplished it nine years ago. 9.4 (million USD) — Miami Open total prize money

The Miami Open is one of the most prestigious events on the tennis calendar outside the four Grand Slams. Roger Federer completed the Sunshine Double — winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same year — in 2017, according to source articles. Sinner won the Miami Open in 2024, making Sunday's final a potential title defense. Lehecka's run to the final mirrors a pattern of Czech success in Miami, with Jakub Mensik having won the tournament the previous year.

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