Sabalenka’s consistent performance highlights key insights from Indian Wells and the Miami Open.
Securing titles at Indian Wells and Miami, collectively referred to as the “Sunshine Double” and akin to March Madness in tennis, is a challenging accomplishment, attained by only a select few of the sport’s legends.
Given the rigorous demands and fierce competition of 1000-level tournaments, along with the rapid transition between the arid conditions of the California desert and the humid atmosphere of South Florida, clinching one of these trophies is a significant challenge, let alone both. As the 2026 tournaments approach, only four women and seven men have managed to achieve consecutive victories in singles play within the same year, a feat accomplished just three times, while only five women’s doubles teams have done so.
Remarkably, despite these challenges, the Sunshine Double was accomplished not once, nor twice, but three times over the weekend.
Indeed, Aryna Sabalenka, Jannik Sinner, and the doubles pair of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova secured the titles in Miami, marking a historic moment where the trophies at both spring hard-court events were claimed by the same woman, man, and women’s doubles team.
This also marked the first instance since 2016, when Victoria Azarenka and Novak Djokovic achieved the same, that both the women’s and men’s singles champions claimed both titles in the same year. (It is noteworthy that in that year, the men’s doubles team of Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut also completed the Sunshine Double, while Bethanie Mattek-Sands won both tournaments with two different partners.)
Sabalenka, who boarded a flight to Miami mere hours after her victory at Indian Wells, celebrated as best she could with “a couple espresso martinis and Five Guys to go.” She became the first woman since Iga Swiatek in 2022 to lift both trophies consecutively, while Sinner became the first man to achieve this since Roger Federer in 2017. Townsend and Siniakova are now the first women’s doubles team to accomplish this feat since Sabalenka and Elise Mertens in 2019.
It is safe to conclude that the past four weeks during the American leg of the spring season were filled with remarkable champions, matches, and moments. For those who may have been preoccupied with the NCAA tournament (or perhaps watching Braylon Mullins’ incredible game-winning three-pointer from every angle) and missed any of the action, here is everything you need to know before the season transitions to clay.
Sabalenka is No. 1 for a reason
Sabalenka, 27, has had an extraordinary year both on and off the court. She commenced the season by winning the title in Brisbane, reached the final at the Australian Open (where she lost to Elena Rybakina, her only defeat of 2026), and has now triumphed at Indian Wells and Miami. Additionally, she got engaged to her long-time partner, Georgios Frangulis, while in Indian Wells and adopted a charming puppy named Ash.
Indeed, it is a favorable time for Sabalenka.
Moreover, Sabalenka is not merely winning; she is dominating. Throughout her journey in both Indian Wells and Miami, she did not lose a set outside of the finals and overcame several formidable opponents. Against a revitalized Rybakina, who has ascended to No. 2 in the rankings, Sabalenka avenged her loss in Melbourne with victories in both the Indian Wells final and a decisive win in the Miami semifinals, 6-4, 6-3. She also overcame Coco Gauff, another of her toughest rivals, in the Miami final in a gripping three-set match. This marked Sabalenka’s second consecutive title at Hard Rock Stadium and improved her career head-to-head record against Gauff to 7-6.
Sabalenka now enjoys a nearly 3,000-point lead over her competitors in the latest rankings. She has maintained the top position since October 2024 and is entering her 84th week in this role. She won the title in Madrid last year but did not secure any other titles on clay, and now she has the opportunity to earn additional points during the clay swing—after, of course, she hopefully takes a few days to celebrate her accomplishments beyond just a fast-food takeout order.
Sunshine Double 🏆 🏆 pic.twitter.com/lwyTKyBoGw
— Sabalenka Aryna (@SabalenkaA) March 29, 2026
Sinner gets back on track
Following Carlos Alcaraz’s victory in their last major encounter at the US Open final in September, and his subsequent seventh Slam title at the Australian Open in January, some speculated that he was distancing himself from Sinner in the race for the title of best player currently on tour.
As Sinner arrived in California after losing to Djokovic in the semifinals at the Australian Open, where he was the two-time defending champion, and suffering a surprising defeat in the quarterfinals in Qatar, momentum was not in his favor. However, Sinner, 24, was more than prepared for the challenge and quickly silenced any skeptics.
The Italian surged through both draws—defeating Daniil Medvedev in the Indian Wells final and Jiri Lehecka for the Miami title—and became the first player, male or female, to win the Sunshine Double without dropping a set. His dominance was such that only one player (Joao Fonseca in the round of 16 at Indian Wells) managed to reach set point against him. Notably, in that match against Fonseca, he faced triple set point but still managed to come back and win the set.
“That’s a thing that I felt, intensity of the game,” Fonseca remarked about Sinner after the match. “It’s pretty [much in] all [of] the games, like, 100%, you need to be always ready, always focused.”
Sinner, who was unable to compete in either event in 2025 due to a three-month suspension, has significantly closed the gap in the rankings. Following his double victory, Sinner is now just 1,190 points behind Alcaraz. Given that Alcaraz has substantial points to defend during the clay-court events and Sinner did not return in 2025 until the Italian Open in May, Sinner will have ample opportunity to further narrow that gap in the upcoming weeks.
Coco’s hometown run
Gauff’s Sunshine Swing began on a challenging note as she had to retire from her round-of-32 match at Indian Wells against Alexandra Eala due to an arm injury.
Stopping play while trailing 6-2, 2-0, Gauff later described the injury sustained in the first set as “scary,” necessitating a medical timeout for treatment.
“Never had anything like this before, never felt anything, a sensation like this before,” Gauff stated after the match. “And then as the match progressed, it got progressively worse, even when I wasn’t using my arm on shots that I wasn’t even using my left arm for.”
She was uncertain if she would be able to compete in Miami—her hometown tournament—and many on her team advised her to skip the event as a precaution. However, after undergoing an MRI, Gauff opted to play and arrived in Miami with low expectations (but plenty of friends and family in attendance). She ultimately achieved her best-ever result at the event with a series of strong victories, including a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over No. 13 seed Karolina Muchova in the semifinals. Gauff, 22, who has consistently referred to the Miami Open as the most significant tournament to her outside of the four Slams, reached her sixth 1000-level final and her ninth career final on hard court.
Although she ultimately fell to Sabalenka, Gauff noted that a “mindset shift” helped her appreciate her accomplishments during the tournament. She credited Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu for assisting her in gaining a new perspective.
“I had the mindset today that regardless of what happened, you lose, but there is no real loss in the situation,” Gauff told reporters. “I was just looking at my box and seeing all my family and friends and hearing them in the crowd, and I know how much they supported me just to be on this stage, so I was just thinking more gratitude and things like that.”
She added that reaching the final bolstered her confidence moving forward. As the defending French Open champion, such a boost and momentum could not come at a better time.
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Swiatek’s struggles
Indian Wells and Miami both hold significant meaning for Iga Swiatek, as she won both consecutively in 2022—during her remarkable 37-match win streak—when she first ascended to the world No. 1 ranking. Swiatek became just the fourth woman to join the exclusive Sunshine Double club, alongside Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, and Azarenka.
Since then, Swiatek, now a six-time major champion, claimed the title in Indian Wells again in 2024 and has enjoyed considerable success elsewhere.
However, this season has not met her own expectations. After helping Poland secure the United Cup title in January, Swiatek has not progressed past the quarterfinals at any event. At Indian Wells, she was defeated by Elina Svitolina in the quarters, and in Miami, her remarkable 73-match win streak in opening-round matches was halted by compatriot Magda Linette. Swiatek could not conceal her frustration following the loss.
“I feel like I carry a lot of expectations, and I can’t really, like, fulfill them right now,” Swiatek, 24, told reporters. “I need to get rid of them, because my game hasn’t been good enough to have any expectations.”
Four days later, she announced the termination of her coaching relationship with Wim Fissette, whom she began working with in the fall of 2024 and with whom she won the Wimbledon title last summer. She stated that the remainder of her team, which includes her long-time sports psychologist and player box mainstay Daria Abramowicz, would remain unchanged.
“Miami was challenging for me. I feel disappointment, bitterness, and responsibility for my performance on the court, of course,” Swiatek wrote on Instagram in a post announcing her decision. “I’ve also learned a lot of important lessons, and I think that’s very human. That being said, after many months of working together with my coach Wim Fissette, I’ve decided to take a different path.”
Swiatek, now ranked No. 4, will focus on finding a new coach and preparing for the clay season. Although she experienced a surprising—by her standards—exit in the semifinals at the French Open last year, she is a four-time champion at the Slam, and a return to her preferred surface could be just what she needs to regain her form.
Medvedev’s wild month
There are many debatable opinions in tennis. Claiming that Daniil Medvedev, the former world No. 1 and 2021 US Open champion, had a poor season in 2025 is not one of them.
He secured only one major match victory last season and achieved his sole title of the year at the 250-level Almaty Open in Kazakhstan in October. However, 2026 has seen a resurgence from Medvedev, who is now 30. He won the title at the season-opening tournament in Brisbane, followed by a fourth-round exit at the Australian Open and a trophy at the 500-level Dubai Open.
Following that victory, Medvedev, along with other players and staff, was stranded in the United Arab Emirates for several days due to airspace closures following the United States’ airstrikes on Iran. It was initially uncertain whether he would make it to Indian Wells, but he arrived just before the tournament commenced—and advanced all the way to the final, including a win over Alcaraz in the semifinals. Although he was disappointed not to defeat Sinner for the title, his performance propelled him back into the top 10.
“It’s a good feeling, but I always said that when I play well, I will return to the top 10,” Medvedev remarked. “I played well. … Does it mean anything special to me? No. But it’s a good feeling at the same time.”
While Medvedev’s travel to Miami was significantly smoother, he still arrived in Florida to find that his bags—including his rackets and all necessary items—had not arrived. He reached out to United Airlines via social media for assistance.
Hi @united…need a little help. Flew from PSP to Florida yesterday and none of my bags arrived. Kind of need them to play in the @MiamiOpen 😉….can you help?
— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) March 17, 2026
He was eventually reunited with his bags, but it was not sufficient. He lost in the round of 32 to Francisco Cerundolo, 6-0, 4-6, 7-5. Nevertheless, he remains in the top 10 and aims to continue his resurgence as the tour heads to Europe.
Alcaraz is human after all
After winning the Australian Open to become the youngest man in history to complete the career Grand Slam and extending his lead over Sinner atop the rankings, Carlos Alcaraz had clearly established himself as the player to beat on the ATP Tour.
Following yet another title at the Qatar Open and considering his status as a former champion at Indian Wells, Alcaraz was undoubtedly the favorite to win both titles during the Sunshine Swing. However, he exited empty-handed after a semifinal defeat in the desert and a surprising round-of-32 loss in Miami against Sebastian Korda. This marked his earliest defeat of the season.
Nonetheless, Alcaraz—who acknowledged Korda’s “incredible” performance and deserving victory—cannot win every match, even if it sometimes seems that way. The 22-year-old is already reflecting on his performance. He remains the world No. 1—though the gap has certainly narrowed—and expressed his eagerness for a brief break at home to spend time with family and friends before shifting his focus to the clay.
In positive news for the Alcaraz family, younger brother Jaime won the Murcia Under-15 Challenger title last weekend.
Watch out everyone 😳
Jaime Alcaraz won the Murcia U15 Challenger title in IMPRESSIVE fashion 😮💨
He reminds us of someone… pic.twitter.com/uxltAhmr7z
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 22, 2026
Surprise, surprise
While Sabalenka and Sinner, who collectively hold eight major singles titles, were among the frontrunners to win at both events, there were still numerous unexpected victories and emerging stars over the past month.
Korda, the 25-year-old American, faced a series of challenges in 2025 but now seems to be back to full health. After winning the title in Delray Beach in February, Korda lost to No. 6 seed Alex de Minaur in the round of 64 at Indian Wells but achieved the most significant victory of his career, and his first over a world No. 1, in the round of 32 in Miami against Alcaraz. Although Korda lost in the next round, he reminded fans of his potential and abilities that were evident earlier in his career.
Sebi SPECIAL 🙌
The moment @SebiKorda defeated Carlos Alcaraz for his first ever win over a reigning No. 1!#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/iTBpMLBRw6
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 22, 2026
Victoria Mboko, who experienced a meteoric rise in 2025 and won the Canadian Open last summer, demonstrated that she is already among the elite on hard courts with consecutive quarterfinal appearances in Indian Wells and Miami. With victories over top-10 players Amanda Anisimova and Mirra Andreeva during this stretch, the 19-year-old Canadian has now reached a career-high ranking of No. 9 and should be a player to watch at every event she enters. Sabalenka, who defeated her at Indian Wells, referred to her as “a future Grand Slam champion, for sure” after their match.
Victoria Mboko is #MiamiOpen Quarter-Final bound 🙌 She defeats Mirra Andreeva 7(7)-6(4), 4-6, 6-0 in the Round of 16! pic.twitter.com/QQFRzOPxOF
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 23, 2026
In 2025, Arthur Fils reached the first Masters 1000-level quarterfinal of his career at Indian Wells and followed that achievement by doing the same in Miami. This time around, the 21-year-old from France surpassed his previous performance. He advanced to the quarters once again in the desert and then to the semifinals in Miami, showcasing some spectacular tennis. Facing Tommy Paul—who had a significant home-court advantage—in the quarters at Hard Rock Stadium, Fils saved four match points in a deciding-set tiebreak to stun the American in a late-night thriller, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (6), which could be an early candidate for match of the year.
Arthur Fils is absolute BOX OFFICE 🍿
His reaction after saving FOUR match points to defeat Tommy Paul under the
Source: espn.com
