Jannick Sinner, the new number 2 in the ATP ranking with his perfect tennis: the reasons for being the great threat of Djokovic’s reign

Jannik Sinner It’s a winning machine. The Italian won his third title of the year and first at the Miami Masters 1000 on Sunday with an indisputable 6-3, 6-1 against Grigor Dimitrov. An hour and 13 minutes were enough to defeat a Bulgarian who arrived confident, after an unforgettable week, but who could do very little against the uninterrupted and relentless tennis of his rival. The San Candido native scored his 22nd victory in 23 games played in 2024, managed to make a small but very important leap in the rankings and confirmed himself as a serious candidate – perhaps the greatest – to fight against for leadership. Novak Djokovic.

“I’m very proud of the result,” said Sinner, who also won his second title in this category, after Toronto 2023. “I started to struggle a bit this week. I didn’t have much time to adjust to this course, so at first I knew it would be difficult. As the tournament went on, 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 was a very, very good two weeks. “This title means a lot to me, but the most important thing is my performance.”

Jannik made history with the cement complex of 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 2021 and 2023). And because he also became the first racket in his country to reach the second step of the world ranking, from which he displaced the Spaniard Carlos this Monday Alcaraz.

“Being number two in the world is incredible, I never thought I’d get to this point. I come from a very normal family, my parents still work. Sport is one thing and life is another. I’m very happy to being 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 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) e 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 it in 2017.

These results may seem insignificant (or unimportant compared to the others they are achieving), but they do nothing but 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 was able to dominate at will a Dimitrov who had played the entire tournament at superlative levels and who had just achieved three victories against the top 10, the Polish Hubert Hurkacz (9th) in the round of 16, Alcaraz (2nd) in the quarterfinals and the German Alexander Zverev (5th) in the semifinals. And he was thrilled to win his second Masters 1000, too, after Cincinnati 2017.

The illusion lasted only a few games for the Bulgarian. Five to be exact, which was what Sinner needed to establish himself on the pitch and get his first break. With the score 3-2 in his favor, the Italian had no problem closing the first set in 42 minutes. And he finished second with an even greater gap, given the impotence of his rival, who could not do harm with his great tennis and his exquisite one-handed backhand.

Dimitrov was left empty-handed, but left with a smile. Because he put in an excellent performance in the tournament and, at the age of 32, has secured his return to the top ten in the rankings (he is ninth), a position he has not occupied since October 2018.

And Sinner, who has won 25 of his last 26 games (counting the three in the finals of Davis Cup 2023in which he also called himself 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’s the key to your (almost) perfect moment?

“Keep your head in the present. I started the season really well. I never thought I’d start out 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 improve. We know what we need to improve. Now comes the clay court tour, where I usually suffer”, analyzed the Italian.

But even if what lies ahead is a period of the season in which he usually does not express himself at the highest level (only one of his 13 titles was won on clay, Umag 2022), aim high.

“I don’t have much time to adapt to this surface. But the main objective does Roland Garros. Before Rome, a very special tournament for me. It’s always great to play in front of your home crowd. I have the feeling that I have learned a lot of things this last year and that I can do better,” she said.

And he assured that the main change experienced in recent months was not mental or tennis-related, but physical.

“We worked a lot in the gym and this helps you on the court, on a mental level. You know that you can play for hours and maintain the level. I also improved my serve, which helps a lot. On the tactical side, trying to understand how to play against certain players players helps me a lot. Darren (Cahill) AND simon (Vagnozzi) are doing a great job with me. They understand what I need to improve, the combination is very good,” she reflected.

Sinner acknowledged that he doesn’t expect a 2024 like the one he’s experiencing. Although these huge results are not a big surprise for him.

“I felt ready to do very well this year. I had a great pre-season and a 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 ready to achieve great results. I just try to improve and also enjoy the moment, because you never know if it’s the last time you win or not,” analyzed the Italian, the winning machine who made history in Miami.

Sebastián Báez, the best Argentine

This Monday’s ATP ranking update then showed that little big leap for Sinner. The Italian placed behind the Serbian Novak Djokovic (9.725). 8,710 pointsafter adding 400 units in Miami, while Alcaraz remained with 8,645 after losing 160.

The Russian Daniel Medvedevwho lost in the semifinals to Sinner, dropped 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 Argentine Sebastiano Baez He remains the best of 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 placed 23rd and 30th.

This is the ATP ranking with this Monday’s update

1. Novak Djokovic (SRB) 9725 points

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. Rune Holger (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 (United States) 2765

14. Ugo Umberto (FRA) 2425 (+1)

15. Tommy Paul (United States) 2350 (-1)

16. Ben Shelton (United States) 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 ATP Top 100

23. Francisco Cerúndolo (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