The Base Line: Ruthless Sinner and Sabalenka rule in Miami as both claim Sunshine Double

[h2]Title winners[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sinner-jannik/6HdC3z4H/"]Jannik Sinner[/a] on Sunday added another trophy to his impressive collection of silverware, outslugging [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lehecka-jiri/6PlgfXKR/"]Jiri Lehecka[/a] in the ATP 1000 final in Miami, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/lehecka-j-6PlgfXKR/sinner-j-6HdC3z4H/?mid=nFzGIgYQ"]6-4, 6-4[/a].[/p][p]Sinner had already claimed the trophy in Indian Wells two weeks ago, and so the fierce Italian completed the 'Sunshine Double' - winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same year - for the first time in his career. [/p][embed guid="cd83e217-1ee7-4912-9776-b3eb0ac8621e" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWXm2tzc6OY" social-type="youtube" /][p][b]By defeating Lehecka, Sinner became the first man to complete the feat since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/federer-roger/GrsQDFC0/"]Roger Federer[/a] in 2017, and the eighth man ever. [/b][/p][p]In the same process, Sinner became the first player ever - male or female - to do it without even dropping a set.[/p][p]His dominance was underlined by the fact that he swept all the 24 sets he played en route to winning Indian Wells and Miami this month, and he conceded only a set point against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fonseca-joao/tv073LUc/"]Jose Fonseca[/a] during the two tournaments.[/p][p]In the women's tournament, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sabalenka-aryna/vyhksgUB/"]Aryna Sabalenka[/a] became the first woman to complete the Sunshine Double since Iga Swiatek in 2022, through an emphatic [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/gauff-c-f5BXmEH6/sabalenka-a-vyhksgUB/?mid=f3n96tE5"]6-2, 4-6, 6-3[/a] victory over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gauff-coco/f5BXmEH6/"]Coco Gauff[/a].[/p][embed guid="ca97aa9b-d919-4c3b-905c-814ed4731cfb" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj76Dn9Vu5E" social-type="youtube" /][p][b]None of the five women to win the Sunshine Double - [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/graf-steffi/OCjzyKgm/"]Steffi Graf[/a] in 1994 and 1996, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/clijsters-kim/8liNy3FK/"]Kim Clijsters[/a] in 2005, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/azarenka-victoria/neAp94aO/"]Victoria Azarenka[/a] in 2016, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/swiatek-iga/jNyZsXZe/"]Iga Swiatek[/a] in 2022, and Sabalenka this year - did it without losing a set.[/b][/p][p]It was Sabalenka’s second successive Miami Open title, the first time that a player accomplished that since 2019 and 2021 (2020 was cancelled due to COVID), as she also became the fourth player since 2000 to reach the finals in her first four tournaments of the year ([a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hingis-martina/6J0pscT7/"]Martina Hingis[/a], 2001, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/williams-serena/ttsu68nH/"]Serena Williams[/a], 2003, and Victoria Azarenka, 2012), all on hard court.[/p][p]Sabalenka went on to win three of them, including Brisbane and the Sunshine Double, but lost in the Australian Open final.[/p][p][a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/6cbIlQEjT7T4tE3UYq0hoB?si=QLJJ-bv8SMuCGv4E7ealMQ" target="_blank"][b]Listen to the audio version of this article on Spotify[/b][/a][/p][h2]Biggest strugglers[/h2][p]Last year, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tauson-clara/2PPTHPya/"]Clara Tauson[/a] had an incredible start to the season when she reached the biggest milestone of her career so far as she reached the WTA 1000 final of the Dubai Duty Free Championships six years after she won the junior girls’ singles tournament at the Australian Open.[/p][p]Having recorded no less than 21 wins by the end of February 2025, she held the record for most aces by that time (137), nobody had served as many aces in one match as her (26 against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kenin-sofia/IJAxNUl3/"]Sofia Kenin[/a]), and nobody has produced as many winners as her (482).[/p][p]She also looked much fitter, allegedly harvesting the fruit of long daily runs and hard training sessions on and off the court.[/p][embed guid="a7752348-e236-4aa5-ab02-545a78e4cd1f" url="https://x.com/the_LTA/status/2035099432585191667" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]But in 2026, the tables have really turned on Tauson. The 23-year-old Dane has faced a series of setbacks throughout the first quarter of 2026, primarily driven by recurring physical issues and early tournament exits. [/b][/p][p]Following a standout 2025 season in which she reached a career-high ranking of No. 12, her 2026 campaign has been hampered by illness and persistent back problems, resulting in a loss of valuable points in the WTA rankings.[/p][p]Tauson showed glimpses of form by reaching the quarterfinals in Doha before losing to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/pegula-jessica/KdojxrAR/"]Jessica Pegula[/a], but crashed out early in Indian Wells and Miami (to [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/siniakova-katerina/OKXs3Wah/"]Katerina Siniakova[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/boulter-katie/0SeXj3jT/"]Katie Boulter[/a]), sparking concerns over her fitness with very little information being offered from the Tauson camp.[/p][h2]Standout moment[/h2][p]The former World No. 2, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/badosa-paula/Wl76rX3I/"]Paula Badosa[/a], said in the past week that it 'feels like I'm drowning' as the Spanish tennis star shared an emotional post after dropping outside the world's top 100.[/p][p]Badosa has seen her rankings drop drastically in recent months, as she continues to battle a long-term back problem that has sidelined her for extensive periods of her career. [/p][p]In a bid to aid her recovery, Badosa closed her 2025 season in September but has struggled for wins since returning at the start of this season. The 28-year-old even decided to take part in a Challenger in Austin earlier this month, winning three matches before losing in the semi-finals.[/p][embed guid="105418d6-2f05-4ee0-956b-ea53baf9a632" url="https://x.com/TheTennisLetter/status/2036228346602987852" social-type="twitter" /][p]Badosa went on to claim a much-needed win in her first match at the Miami Open, but was then swept aside in straight sets [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/tennis/badosa-gibert-paula-Wl76rX3I/jovic-i-bmWvBlnL/?mid=dn9sW2BM"]6-2, 6-1[/a] by rising American star [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/jovic-iva/bmWvBlnL/"]Iva Jovic[/a] at the event.[/p][p][b]'Fear, that damn fear. It's so awful. Sometimes I feel like I can't control the voices inside me,' Badosa wrote. 'The emotions are overwhelming, and I feel like I'm drowning. Doubts take hold, and I feel lost in a sea of ​​emotions,"[/b] she said in a social media post.[/p][p][b]'There are days when I feel strong enough, and others when the mountain seems too high... and I wonder if I'll be able to do it.[/b][/p][p][b]'I guess so. Because if anything defines me, it's that I always bounce back. Turn pain into power, right? Why should this time be any different?[/b][/p][p][b]'There's one thing I'm sure of: I'll always try with all my might. I'll do whatever it takes. I know I'm far from my best version, but I also know that version is still inside me.'[/b][/p][h2]Best rallies[/h2][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arthur-fils/IoIhUqIN/"]Arthur Fils[/a] has returned to his best form in Miami, where he reached the semi-final. In the round of 16, he showed his spectacular repertoire by producing back-to-back forehand winners against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vacherot-valentin/rFqoSYd8/"]Valentin Vacherot[/a]. [/p][embed guid="43539ab3-56b0-4170-9c2b-e3ea2e404507" url="https://x.com/TennisTV/status/2036521781885010429" social-type="twitter" /][p]Gauff showcased her never-say-die attitude on many occasions in Miami, including during her quarter-final clash against Switzerland's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bencic-belinda/ObGlDvu0/"]Belinda Bencic[/a], when she won this rally despite all odds being against her. [/p][embed guid="a077625b-6a99-46eb-8621-9b3ab2f2b862" url="https://x.com/MiamiOpen/status/2036639433148043331" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Upcoming events[/h2][p]As the tennis world prepares to head into the clay-court season at the ATP 1000 tournament in Monte Carlo, valuable points will be at stake this week, with the men taking part in ATP 250 tournaments in Bucharest, Houston, and Marrakech.[/p][p]In Houston, top seed [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/shelton-ben/QNuG0Gzb/"]Ben Shelton[/a] enters ranked ninth in the world, seeking his first career ATP title on clay, while 20-year-old [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tien-learner/xUHOBJK6/"]Learner Tien[/a] is a major threat following a significant climb in the rankings to No. 21.[/p][p]In Marrakech, the 2024 champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/berrettini-matteo/OhwtM7N8/"]Matteo Berrettini[/a] returns to Morocco, a site where he has historically found success on clay, while [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/wawrinka-stan/Uo9lu6le/"]Stan Wawrinka[/a] continues his goodbye tour on the ATP circuit. Finally, in Bucharest, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/baez-sebastian/dd8jLjtO/"]Sebastian Baez[/a] enters as a top favourite, given his strong early-season form in South America.[/p][embed guid="84b84140-cddb-4636-8b18-ea751284da4f" url="https://x.com/UniversTennis/status/2037654739307954569" social-type="twitter" /][p]While several top performers on the women's tour will rest until Stuttgart or the WTA 1000 tournament in Madrid, tournaments in Charleston (WTA 500) and Bogota (WTA 250) will offer great chances of boosting one's ranking.[/p][p]For the first time, Charleston is offering a record $2.5 million in equal prize money to the players, matching ATP 500 levels. [/p][p]In Bogota, the home favourite and top-ranked Colombian, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osorio-serrano-maria-camila/rysUUciD/"]Camila Osorio[/a], enters as the three-time champion (2021, 2024, 2025) and the primary focus of the local crowd.[/p]