TIE-BREAKFAST - 30/03 Miami Open

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Ace Cream's daily newsletter during Masters 1000 and Grand Slams, every morning at 8:30.

Today is Monday, March 30, in Miami it's 2:30 AM and it's 22 degrees. OK, let's go.

Today at breakfast

• 🇮🇹 Sinner completes the Sunshine Double: Lehecka beaten 6-4 6-4 in the rain, first man since 2017
• 🇮🇹 Errani and Paolini, a bitter doubles final: rain changes everything, Siniakova and Townsend win 7-6(0) 6-1
• 🇮🇹 The Italian results in Miami: three finals, two titles, a weekend that leaves its mark
• 🎾 Miami closes, clay begins: Monte Carlo from April 4

WHAT HAPPENED OVERNIGHT:

🇮🇹 Sinner Completes The Sunshine Double

Jannik Sinner defeated Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4 in the Miami Open final, completing the Sunshine Double for the first time in his career. He is the first man to achieve this since Federer in 2017, and most notably the first in history to do so without dropping a set between Indian Wells and Miami.

The match had a peculiar structure, interrupted several times by rain with total delays of about two and a half hours at Hard Rock Stadium. Lehecka, who had reached the final without ever losing his serve in the tournament, found on the other side a Sinner who won the first sixteen points on his first serve in the opening set. The key moment came at 2-1 in the first set, with Sinner facing 0-40 on serve: five consecutive unreturnable first serves, three over 205 km/h and two aces, to hold a game that changed the tone of the match. That's 34 consecutive sets won in Masters 1000 events, 17 wins in a row, his seventh Masters title, and his twenty-sixth overall. Numbers, sometimes, tell more than any commentary.

"I'm really, really happy. Making the Sunshine Double for the first time, it's incredible. It's something I would have never thought possible," he said after the match. The feeling is that this version of Sinner, the one who navigates interruptions and adverse conditions without ever changing expression, is something different even compared to six months ago.

🇮🇹 Errani And Paolini, A Bitter Doubles Final

Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini lost the women's doubles final to Siniakova and Townsend 7-6(0), 6-1. Siniakova and Townsend thus complete their Sunshine Double in doubles.

The match tells a story of missed opportunities and rain that changed everything. In the first set, the Italians had their chances but couldn't close it out when they had the opportunity. Then the rain stopped everything for a couple of hours. When play resumed, the match was moved from center court to the Grandstand to make room for the men's final, and something broke: the tiebreak lasted seven points, all in favor of Siniakova and Townsend, and in the second set the Italians won just one game.

More than the loss itself, it's the way it happened that stings, because until the rain the final was balanced and the Italians seemed to have control of the set. Sometimes interruptions change matches more than any tactic, and this was one of those times.

🇮🇹 The Italian Results In Miami

Three finals out of four competitions for the Italians in Miami: Sinner champion in men's singles, Bolelli and Vavassori champions in men's doubles, Errani and Paolini finalists in women's doubles. Two titles from three finals played, with the only loss coming in particular circumstances.

The Miami weekend was probably the most Italian in the history of a Masters 1000 outside of Rome, and the interesting thing is that it wasn't a single exploit but a widespread presence across multiple levels of tennis. Singles, men's doubles, women's doubles: it's the kind of depth that says something about the movement as a whole, not just about individuals.

WHAT'S ON TODAY:

The 2026 Miami Open has concluded. There are no matches scheduled today.

The next stop on the tour is the Monte Carlo Masters, which begins Saturday, April 4 with qualifying. The main draw starts Sunday, April 5. First clay court appointment of the season, with Sinner, Alcaraz, and the rest of the top of the rankings expected on the French Riviera.

Further reading

• ATP Miami LIVE: Sinner wins in straight sets. It's a Sunshine Double!
• WTA Miami, doubles: Errani and Paolini last one set, Siniakova and Townsend complete the Sunshine Double
• Sinner conquers the rain and Lehecka to complete a perfect Sunshine Double
• Siniakova and Townsend complete quest for Sunshine Double with Miami title
• The surprise of Miami: who is Jiri Lehecka, the obstacle between Sinner and the Sunshine Double

That's all for Miami. A tournament that spoke plenty of Italian, from the first day to the last.

TIE-Breakfast returns with the Monte Carlo Masters, from April 4. Enjoy your breakfast and have a great week.