By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Sunday, March 31, 2024
Jannik Sinner streaked into history on Miami's hard court.
The Miami Open champion will celebrate by getting his feet dirty.
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The 22-year-old Sinner crushed Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 6-1 in today's final to make history as the first Italian to win the Miami Open and first Italian to rise to world No. 2.
The Australian Open champion is also the first man under age 23 to win three titles in the first three months of a season since Andy Murray did it back in 2008.
So what will Sinner do for an encore?
The new world No. 2 shared his one clay-court goal: Try to win Roland Garros.
"For sure, the main goal is Roland Garros, yes, but trying to work slowly into this tournament and trying to play it in the best possible way," Sinner told the media in Miami. "Before I have Rome, for me, especially is a really, really important tournament. You know, playing with the home crowd, it's always amazing."
Sinner said he plans to return to Monte-Carlo, where he has an apartment, and begin training on red clay on Thursday. Twelve of Sinner's 13 career championships have come on his favored hard courts; he concedes "I usually struggle [on clay.]"
Armed with a 22-1 record on the season, and the confidence that comes from dethroning Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic in Melbourne en route to his maiden major, Sinner says there's another major change in his game.
The lanky 22-year-old Italian says he's physically stronger this season, which should empower him during draining dirt duels. Sinner's best Roland Garros performance is a 2020 quarterfinal result. He lost to Daniel Altmaier in the 2023 French Open second round.
"I think the biggest change I have had is physical," Sinner said. "We worked a lot physical in the gym, and this helps you also on the court when, in your mind, you know that you can play for hours and hours and then you can maintain a certain level."
Photo credit: Miami Open/Hard Rock Stadium