Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka join Federer, Djokovic in elite list with Sunshine Double sweep in 2026

Sinner and Sabalenka conquer Indian Wells and Miami in tandem.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka scripted total domination of the Sunshine Double as the hard-court season winds down. The duo bagged titles at Indian Wells and Miami to win both events in the same season for the first time.

They are the fourth man and woman to reach the milestone respectively in tennis history. The last time this happened was in 2016 when Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka swept up the Indian Wells and Miami Open trophies.

Sinner won his first two titles of the 2026 season back-to-back and without dropping a set. The Italian defeated Jiri Lehecka in a rain-interrupted Miami final a fortnight after prevailing over Daniil Medvedev in Southern California. The World No. 2 secured a maiden victory with his title run at Indian Wells.

The 24-year-old Sinner has now closed in on Carlos Alcaraz in the battle for World No. 1, with the lead trimmed to 1190 points. The tussle for the top spot will resume once the clay court season gets underway in Monte-Carlo in a few days.

Sinner’s record-breaking run in Miami makes him the eighth man to secure the ‘Sunshine Double’ in ATP history and the first since Roger Federer in 2017.

It was a case of third time lucky for Sabalenka, as she won her maiden Indian Wells title in her third title round appearance. The World No. 1 from Belarus defeated Elena Rybakina in three sets before moving on to Miami to defend her title.

The top seed reclaimed her Miami Open crown with a near flawless run – not dropping a set until her title round face-off with Coco Gauff. Sabalenka and Gauff were meeting for the first time in the 2026 season, with their head-to-head tied at 6-6. The World No. 1 broke the tie with a three-set win, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Also Read: Miami Open 2026 Payouts: How much did Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz & others earn in prize money?

The last WTA player to achieve the feat was Iga Swiatek in 2022. Sabalenka is the fifth woman on the list. German legend Steffi was the first and the only player to do so twice in 1994 and 1996.

Sabalenka has three titles to her name in 2026 and retains her hold on the WTA World No. 1 ranking. Gauff, the runner-up, replaces Poland’s Iga Swiatek as the World No. 3. 

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