BNP Paribas Open champion Jannik Sinner added another historic milestone to his career, becoming only the third player ever to complete the full set of six ATP Masters 1000 hard-court titles. The Italian achieved the feat by defeating Daniil Medvedev 7-6(6), 7-6(4) in the final at Indian Wells. Before him, only Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer had managed to win all six Masters events played on hard courts.
### Sinner’s immediate focus shifts to Miami
Despite the significance of the achievement, Sinner made it clear that his attention is not yet on the clay-court Grand Slam at French Open. During his post-match press conference, he was asked whether he was already thinking about winning titles he hasn’t claimed yet, particularly Roland Garros. His response was simple: he is not looking that far ahead.
Sinner explained that the French Open is still a long way off in the calendar and that there are several important tournaments before it. His immediate priority is the upcoming Miami Open.
According to the Italian star, he intends to stay focused on maintaining the momentum he currently has. While he plans to take a few days to relax and briefly step away from thinking about tennis, he emphasized that he doesn’t want to disrupt the rhythm he has built through his recent performances.
He also noted that Miami is particularly important because it represents the final hard-court Masters event before the ATP Tour transitions to the clay-court swing in Europe.
### Preparing for the clay season ahead
Sinner acknowledged that once the Miami tournament concludes, the tour will shift to European clay events, where conditions differ significantly from hard courts. He pointed out that clay tournaments often bring unpredictable results and different challenges for players.
While he is looking forward to returning to Europe and competing on clay, Sinner emphasized that his main objective is simply to perform at his best and see how things unfold throughout the season.
### The heartbreaking Roland Garros final last year
Sinner’s cautious approach toward thinking about Roland Garros may also stem from last year’s dramatic experience in Paris. In the 2025 final, he faced his long-time rival Carlos Alcaraz in one of the most memorable matches of the season.
The contest turned into a marathon battle lasting five hours and 29 minutes. For much of the match, Sinner appeared to be on course for victory. He led by two sets and even held a break advantage in the third set.
Later in the match, he moved ahead 5-3 in the fourth set, placing himself just one game away from the championship.
However, Alcaraz staged an extraordinary comeback. The Spaniard saved three championship points, managed to hold serve, and eventually broke Sinner’s serve to level the set. Alcaraz then won the fourth-set tiebreak to force a decisive fifth set, where he ultimately secured the title.
### Sinner reflects on the emotional battle
Following that defeat, Sinner spoke about how he attempted to maintain his composure throughout the match’s emotional swings. He explained that during Grand Slam matches, players must constantly reset mentally after each set.
Although he admitted that losing the fourth set after holding match points was disappointing, Sinner said he tried to stay mentally present and avoid giving away easy points. Once the match ended, he accepted the result and moved forward.
### Strong history at the Miami Open
For now, Sinner’s focus remains firmly on the Miami Open. The Italian has reached the tournament’s championship match three times in his career and previously won the title in 2024 during his most recent appearance there.
Heading into the event this year, he carries significant momentum after his historic triumph at Indian Wells, which further established him as one of the leading players on the ATP Tour.
### A milestone victory at Indian Wells
Sinner’s Indian Wells victory also brought him back to the winner’s circle and marked his 12th “Big Title” on the ATP Tour. In men’s tennis, Big Titles refer to the most prestigious achievements in the sport: Grand Slam tournaments, the ATP Finals, ATP Masters 1000 events, and Olympic singles gold medals.
With this latest triumph, Sinner now trails Alcaraz by just three Big Titles, continuing a rivalry that is rapidly defining the current era of men’s tennis. Both players have already claimed a major trophy this season, with Alcaraz winning the Australian Open earlier in the year.
### Masters 1000 leaderboard among active players
The Indian Wells title also moved Sinner further up the list of active players with the most Masters 1000 victories. He is now tied with Medvedev for sixth place among active competitors, with six Masters titles each.
Only three active players currently have more: Djokovic leads the list with 40, followed by Alcaraz with eight and Alexander Zverev with seven.
### Youngest player to complete the hard-court Masters set
Another historic aspect of Sinner’s accomplishment is his age. At just 24 years old, he has become the youngest player ever to win all six Masters 1000 tournaments played on hard courts since the series began in 1990.
Federer completed the same collection much later in his career, finishing the set at age 33 when he won Shanghai in 2014. If his 2006 Madrid title is included in the sequence, he would have been 30 at the time.
Djokovic achieved the milestone at age 31 when he captured the Cincinnati title in 2018.
### A landmark career milestone
Sinner’s victory over Medvedev also marked another major career achievement: his 100th career win in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments. Born in 2001, he became the first player from the 2000s generation to reach the 100-win mark at this elite level of competition.
The accomplishment further highlights how quickly he has risen to prominence on the ATP Tour.
### The race for the No. 1 ranking
Currently ranked No. 2 in the ATP standings, Sinner still trails Alcaraz by 2,150 ranking points. However, the upcoming stretch of tournaments presents an opportunity to close that gap.
Last season, Sinner missed several key Masters events—including Miami, the Monte-Carlo Masters, and the Madrid Open—due to issues related to a doping controversy.
All three of those tournaments are scheduled to take place within the next seven weeks, meaning Sinner now has the chance to earn valuable ranking points that he could not collect last year.
With the Miami Open approaching quickly, the tennis world is watching closely to see whether Sinner can extend his strong form and capture another Masters title—an achievement that could bring him closer to reclaiming the No. 1 spot before the clay-court season culminates at Roland Garros.