Can Jiri Lehecka deny Jannik Sinner's Sunshine Double dreams? Miami Open final preview and pick

If you have high hopes for a close and dramatic final on Sunday, you should probably avoid looking at the head-to-head between Jannik Sinner and Jiri Lehecka.

Unfortunately, it’s part of my job to point it out to you.

Sinner leads 4-0. He hasn’t dropped a set in any of those matches. And he won their most recent meeting, at Roland Garros in 2025, 6-0, 6-1, 6-2.

There’s no reason to pretend that Sinner is anything less than a solid favorite in their fifth encounter as well. He has won all 22 sets he has played in Indian Wells and Miami, and now stands one victory from completing the first men’s Sunshine Double in nine years.

Read more: Lucky number seven! Jannik Sinner beats Alexander Zverev again in Miami semifinals

You can’t say he hasn’t been tested, either. Against Alexander Zverev in the semis, Sinner had to save break points early in the first set, and fend off an emotional charge from the German in the second. One reason Sinner hasn’t dropped a set in so long is that he has perfected the Djokovichian art of cutting out his errors once he gets to a tiebreaker. He took Zverev’s best shot late in their semi, and found something better.

“What made the difference today? I served very well at the end, which helped me,” Sinner said. “So, I’m very happy about today’s performance.”

Before we crown Sinner, though, it should be said that Lehecka also put in a fine performance in his semifinal—among the best of his career. He beat an in-form Arthur Fils with surprising ease, 6-2, 6-2. He made more than 70 percent of his first serves, didn’t face a break point, and pushed Fils out of position right away with his returns.

Read more: Jiri Lehecka routs Arthur Fils in Miami to reach first Masters 1000 final without dropping serve

“I felt that I needed to put a little bit more risk into my returns to be the one who is dictating the pace of the of the point,” Lehecka said. “So that was my goal today, and I think that I executed it well.”

Can Lehecka do something similar against Sinner? He might take a page from his fellow Czech Jakub Mensik, who was the last person to beat the Italian, six weeks ago in Doha. Mensik did it with 11 aces and maximum aggression from the baseline. Lehecka is capable of something similar on his best day, and the courts in Miami would help him in that cause. Of course, Sinner likes these courts, too; he’s 24-3 on them, and hasn’t lost a match here since 2023.

Sinner and Lehecka are two of the cleanest hitters in tennis. Maybe the best way to watch this match is to enjoy the ball-striking while we can, and take any competitive drama as a bonus. Winner: Sinner