Jannik Sinner made ATP Masters 1000 history on at the Miami Open with his commanding 6-1, 6-4 victory against Corentin Moutet as he moved past Serbian great Novak Djokovic to win 26 consecutive sets at the Masters 1000 level.
With his straightforward third-round triumph inside Hard Rock Stadium, the Italian has now won 26 consecutive sets at the Masters 1000 level, moving clear of Djokovic’s record of 24.
Sinner had equalled that mark with his second-round win on Saturday in Miami before surpassing it in the third round.
Sinner’s streak traces back to last November at the Paris Masters, where he clinched the title without dropping a set. He carried that form into March, repeating the feat at the Paribas Open. Thanks to his two victories in Miami, Sinner has now won 13 consecutive Masters 1000 matches, ATP reports.
The Italian will now face Alex Michelsen, who defeated Alejandro Tabilo 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, continuing his bid to become the first man to complete the ‘Sunshine Double’ since Roger Federer achieved the feat in 2017.
Sinner, who is not defending any ATP Rankings points in Miami, is now in a prime position to close the gap in his World No. 1 battle with Carlos Alcaraz, who lost to Sebastian Korda on Sunday in the third round.
Earlier, Frances Tiafoe overcame defending champion Jakub Mensik, when he saved two match points and then converted on his seventh opportunity to earn a dramatic 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(11) win.
Mensik defeated Novak Djokovic in the final in Florida 12 months ago to clinch his maiden tour-level trophy. The 20-year-old moved past Adam Walton in his opener this fortnight but could not find a way past Tiafoe.
Tiafoe, 28, is into the fourth round in Miami for the fifth time and first since 2022. The world No. 20 will next play Terence Atmane after the Frenchman upset Top 10 star Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.
Sabalenka storms into QF, Gauff sets up Bencic showdown
Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka continued her dominant run at the Miami Open, booking a place in the quarterfinals with a straight-sets win over Zheng Qinwen.
Sabalenka took an hour and 25 minutes to seal a 6-3, 6-4 victory, maintaining her strong head-to-head record against Zheng. Although the Chinese star produced moments of brilliance, the Belarusian consistently absorbed the pressure and reasserted control at crucial junctures.
With the result, Sabalenka reached her 15th consecutive WTA quarterfinal, a milestone last achieved by Justine Henin between 2006 and 2008. It also marked her 32nd appearance in a WTA 1000 quarterfinal, placing her behind only Victoria Azarenka among active players.
She will next take on American Hailey Baptiste, who advanced to her maiden WTA 1000 quarterfinal with another composed performance. Baptiste followed up her upset of Elina Svitolina by defeating Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-4. The 22-year-old has been in commanding form all week, progressing through the draw without dropping a set.
Meanwhile, World No. 4 Coco Gauff reached her first Miami Open quarterfinal after overcoming Sorana Cirstea 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in a fluctuating contest. The match was defined by frequent breaks of serve, particularly in the opening two sets where both players struggled to hold.
Gauff, however, found greater stability in the decider, holding serve throughout the third set to wrest control. Her effectiveness on return proved decisive, as she won significantly more points on her opponent’s serve. The American closed out the match strongly, winning eight of the final nine points on serve to secure victory and maintain her unbeaten record against Cirstea.
Gauff will now meet Belinda Bencic in the last eight after the Swiss player produced a clinical 6-2, 6-2 win over Amanda Anisimova. Bencic, seeded 12th, controlled the match from start to finish to reach her 12th WTA 1000 quarterfinal and her second in Miami, having made the semifinals in 2022. She now eyes consecutive wins over Top 10 opponents as she prepares for a high-stakes clash against Gauff.
Pegula, Rybakina power into Miami Open QF with dominant wins
Jessica Pegula and Elena Rybakina delivered commanding performances to book their places in the Miami Open quarterfinals, each cruising through their matches in straight sets at Hard Rock Stadium.
Fifth seed Pegula was first on court and produced a highly efficient display against Jaqueline Cristian. The American dominated on serve, not facing a single break point, while capitalising on four of her 13 break chances to secure a 6-4, 6-1 victory in just over an hour.
The win not only improved Pegula’s head-to-head record against Cristian to 2-0, but also marked her fifth consecutive appearance in the Miami quarterfinals. In doing so, she became the first player to achieve that feat since Agnieszka Radwanska (2010–2014), and just the third American woman to reach five straight Miami quarterfinals, joining Chris Evert and Serena Williams.
Later in the day, third seed Rybakina matched that level of control in her clash with Australian qualifier Talia Gibson. The reigning Australian Open champion was never under serious threat on serve and powered to a 6-2, 6-2 win in one hour and four minutes.
Despite the defeat, Gibson’s campaign capped an impressive run across the Sunshine Double. She became only the third player to reach the round of 16 at both Indian Wells and Miami in the same season as a qualifier or lucky loser, following Gisela Dulko and Varvara Gracheva.
Rybakina now holds a 5-3 edge over Pegula in their WTA Tour rivalry, having won their last four meetings over the past seven months.
Looking ahead to the quarterfinal showdown, she added, “Definitely, I need to serve well. That’s my biggest weapon and try to be fresh, move well, because here it’s a little bit faster than last match we played in Indian Wells. The ball doesn’t bounce as much. So, it’s a bit challenging, I would say, but, I will try to do my best and hopefully win this match.”