Jannik Sinner believes a new game plan against Carlos Alcaraz was pivotal in his win over the current world No.1 at the Miami Open but the Italian is reluctant to share any details with the wider world.
The world No.11 ousted Alcaraz 6-7(4), 6-4, 6-2, in what was an electrifying encounter at the Hard Rock Stadium where both players produced some of their best tennis. Overall there were 49 winners in the match with 27 of those coming from Sinner who also won 63% of his service points. There were numerous gut-busting rallies which illustrated the athleticism of the two players in what is becoming a formidable rivalry in men’s tennis.
“For sure it’s one of the best wins (of my career). It was a very tough match against him. I think we both played a very high-level match,” Sinner said during his press conference.
“From my side, I think I changed a couple of things from Indian Wells to here, which I had to, and they went my way. So I’m happy about that.”
Pressed about what exactly it was that he has changed since their last meeting earlier this month, the 21-year-old refused to shed light on the tactics that he created with the help of his team. He is coached on the Tour by Darren Cahill who has previously worked with the likes of Simona Halep and Andre Agassi.
“I don’t say what but we changed something. I think he (Alcaraz) recognized it and the next time he’s gonna also change something, so I have to be prepared for this. But I’m not gonna say what exactly we changed,” he said.
In their head-to-head on the ATP Tour, they are now level at 3-3. Although Sinner’s latest win is a case of sweet revenge for him after losing to the Spaniard in their two previous meetings. Furthermore, it is the first time in his career he has defeated a world No.1 player. Alcaraz will lose his top position to Novak Djokovic on Monday as a result of his latest loss.
It is the second year in a row that Sinner has reached the final in Miami. In 2022 he became the first Italian finalist in the tournament’s 37-year-old history but missed out on the title to Hubert Hurkacz.
In this year’s final he faces Daniil Medvedev who has already recorded 28 wins in 2023 and claimed three titles. Sinner, who is seeking his maiden Masters 1000 title, has lost all five of his previous encounters against the Russian. However, this will be the first time the two have clashed on an outside court.
“I have to find the right way to win against Daniil. If it’s not this time, hopefully, there are many other times,” he commented.
“But I feel ready to compete. I think I have done something new in this tournament and a couple of things are working very well.”
Sinner is only the third man in history to reach multiple Miami finals before the age of 22. The other two to achieve this benchmark are Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
