Jannik Sinner, Hubert Hurkacz play for biggest title of careers in Miami Open men’s final
When the three most prominent names in tennis — Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer — all sent their regrets to this year’s Miami Open, the buzz was all about which of the next-tier players would take advantage of the opening.
The talk naturally centered on newly minted No. 2 Daniil Medvedev, No. 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No. 7 Alexander Zverev and No. 8 Andrey Rublev as the most likely candidates to emerge as champion.
No disrespect intended, but no one seriously touted Jannik Sinner of Italy and Hubert Hurkacz of Poland — two close friends, occasional doubles partners, ranked just outside the top 30 — to be playing against each other for the first-time in their careers in the Miami Open final Sunday.
To reach the championship match, the No. 31 ranked Sinner upset No. 7 Roberto Bautista Agut in the semifinals, while the No. 37 ranked Hurkacz toppled Tsitsipas in the quarters and Rublev in the semifinals.
Playing for the biggest title of their careers, both Sinner and Hurkacz enter Sunday’s championship match with an unblemished 2-0 record in career finals. The winner will be the first player this season to take home two titles.
Hurkasz, 24, is currently enjoying a 9-0 winning streak in South Florida having won the Delray Beach title in January.
“I knew that Novak and Rafa, and Dominic (Thiem) and Roger not gonna play this event, so it’s gonna be like some of the younger guys gonna have a chance to play really deep here,” Hurkacz said. “Obviously, I was just trying to work on my game and play my best tennis.
“Luckily, and happily, I’m here in the finals now.”
The teen-aged Sinner, a Miami Open debutante this year, is considered a tennis superstar-in-the-making, but had not yet been tapped for prime time at the more illustrious ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
“We knew that many players are not coming here, especially the big three,” Sinner said. “We approached this tournament to go very, very far. We came here with the right mentality, the right mindset. We always go to every tournament trying to win as many matches as possible.”
Sinner is the second youngest finalist in the history of the Miami Open after Rafael Nadal, who was aged 18 when he lost to Federer in 2005. If Sinner, aged 19 years, 7 months, wins the title he will knockout Djokovic’s record as the current youngest Miami champion, which he achieved at 19 years, 10 months old.
Djokovic was the last teenager to win an ATP Masters 1000 event, which he did when he captured the first of his six Miami titles in 2007.
The final matchup pits Sinner’s smooth ball striking and mature approach to the game against Hurkacz’s potent serve — he’s fired 51 aces en route to the final — and surprisingly nimble on-court movement considering his 6-5 frame.
Following their semifinal victories Friday, both players seriously focused on the task at hand rather than the excitement of reaching the final.
“Obviously, it can be a great week for me,” Sinner said. “It is a great week for me. But the work has to go on.”
Hurkacz described his emotions similarly, saying, “I think I’m in the moment. Super happy to be where I am now but now we try to prepare as best as we can for that final match on Sunday.”