Brilliant Sinner “surprised” at stunning start to 2024

The Italian is 24-1 for the year, going into the Miami final against Grigor Dimitrov

March 30, 2024

Jannik Sinner knows how good he is and knows how well he’s playing, but that doesn’t mean he expected it to be happening as fast as it is right now.

Having won the Australian Open for his first Grand Slam title in January, Sinner has barely put a foot wrong, winning Rotterdam, reaching the semis in Indian Wells and now the final again in Miami.

Victory over Grigor Dimitrov on Sunday would propel him above Carlos Alcaraz to become world No 2 for the first time in his career. It all seems to be happening so fast and even the unflappable Sinner admits that it’s come sooner than he expected.”

“I am surprised, for sure,” he told reporters in Miami, reflecting on his record of 24-1 for the season so far. “It’s something I was not expecting, for sure. But it also shows that I take everything day by day, and that’s what’s happening, it’s happening. You cannot really control everything. You just can control the emotions, the will to improve day by day, and that’s it.”

1 – With victory over Daniil Medvedev in the semi-final, Jannik Sinner has become the first player to reach three men’s singles finals at the Miami Open before turning 23, since the event’s inauguration in 1985. Comfortable.#MiamiOpen | @MiamiOpen @atptour @ATPMediaInfo pic.twitter.com/1HyaT5ro3y
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 29, 2024

Sinner aware he’s now a target for others

Sinner blitzed Daniil Medvedev to reach the Miami final and the Italian will be favourite to see off an inspired Dimitrov in the final. But part of what makes Sinner so great and so consistent is his humility. He knows that anything can happen.

“For sure I’m really happy about the season I’m playing in,” he said. “Who would not be happy? But in the other way, I know that the players, they get to know me more. They study me so I have to be ready.

“I was struggling earlier in this tournament, as we saw, and it also shows that every day is different, no? Today I felt great on court. Maybe Sunday I will not feel great. I don’t know what will be happening, but it’s just day by day, and that’s it.”

Sinner looking forward to Dimitrov challenge

Sinner has won two of his three meetings with Dimitrov, including one in Miami last year (6-3, 6-4) and a straight-sets win last time out in Beijing last autumn.

But despite his incredible last six months, which also included helping Italy to Davis Cup glory, Sinner knows to expect a tough challenge from Dimitrov, who has beaten Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev to reach the final.

“We saw an amazing Grigor yesterday night (against Alcaraz, in the quarter-finals),” he said. “He played incredible tennis. He’s very, very talented physically. You know, really, really good shape.

“He has the talent to change things of up on a tennis court because of the way he plays. He can stand back, he can go close. He has very, very good hand skills. He can do whatever he wants.

“It’s going to be a great test for me, a great final, and hopefully I can show some good tennis.”