Can Sinner and Sabalenka Break Decade-Long Sunshine Double Curse?

Sunshine double, Sinner and Sabalenka eye tennis history | Dubreuil Corinne/ABACA / Abaca Press / Profimedia

JJannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka aim to join elite group of players who've achieved the prestigious Sunshine Double in tennis.

Italian and Belarusian stars look to become latest pair to achieve rare Sunshine Double feat in tennis...

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka are on the cusp of making history by breaking a decade-long Sunshine Double curse in tennis. Having won the Indian Wells titles last week, they're just a few wins away from claiming the Miami Open trophy and achieving this prestigious feat.

The last time a man and a woman completed the Sunshine Double in the same season was back in 2016, with Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka taking the honors. Sinner, who's already broken a record for consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events, is looking to add to his impressive streak, while Sabalenka aims to become only the fifth woman to achieve the Indian Wells-Miami double.

This feat has only been achieved three times in history. The other pairs to have completed the Sunshine Double in the same season are Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf (1994), and Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters (2005).

Sinner and Sabalenka are on track to join this elite group, having won the Indian Wells titles and now eyeing the Miami Open trophy.

15 - Aryna Sabalenka is the first player to reach the QF in 15 consecutive WTA-level events appeared in (excluding WTA Finals) since Justine Henin who managed 25 consecutive QFs between Charleston 2006 and Miami 2008. Champion. #MiamiOpen | @MiamiOpen @WTA pic.twitter.com/UJZVHwE4DQ

— OptaAce (@OptaAce) March 23, 2026

“It's definitely a very difficult challenge. Winning a Grand Slam takes two weeks, but winning these two tournaments takes almost four weeks, and you also have to play in different conditions, which is really complicated,” Sabalenka explained on Monday, after advancing to the quarter-finals in Florida.

To snag the Sunshine Double, a seeded player needs to rack up 12 straight wins, braving the contrasting climates of Indian Wells' scorching desert heat and Miami's steamy humidity.

Jannik Sinner has advanced to the last 16 at the Miami Masters 1000, and he's the favorite to take on American Alex Michelsen. The Italian is aiming to become the eighth man in history to achieve the Sunshine Double, a feat that would put him in elite company.

Aryna Sabalenka, on the other hand, is looking to join an even more exclusive group - the fifth woman to complete the Sunshine Double. The Belarusian has a tough match ahead, facing American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals

 

Only 11 tennis players have achieved the impressive feat of winning Indian Wells and Miami in the same year, known as the Sunshine Double. This elite group includes seven men and four women.

Jannik Sinner matches @DjokerNole's record for most consecutive sets won at ATP Masters 1000 Level 🔝#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/a1DoeVcyAu

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 21, 2026

The multiple Sunshine Double champions are Steffi Graf with two wins, Roger Federer with three wins, and Novak Djokovic with four wins. These tennis legends have showcased exceptional skill and consistency to conquer the challenging back-to-back tournaments. The last player to achieve this feat was Iga Swiatek in 2022.

Here are the players who have achieved the Sunshine Double:

Men: 

• Jim Courier (1991)

• Michael Chang (1992)

• Pete Sampras (1994)

• Marcelo Rios (1998)

• Andre Agassi (2001)

• Roger Federer (2005, 2006, 2017)

• Novak Djokovic (2011, 2014, 2015, 2016)

Women:

• Steffi Graf (1994, 1996)

• Kim Clijsters (2005)

• Victoria Azarenka (2016)

• Iga Swiatek (2022)

ATP and WTA Sunshine Double in same season:

• 1994: Pete Sampras and Steffi Graf

• 2005: Roger Federer and Kim Clijsters

• 2016: Novak Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka