Jakub Mensik, Miami champion, was going to pull out of the tournament an hour before his first match

Can Sinner continue his impeccable start to 2024 or will Dimitrov cap off a resurgent two weeks at the Hard Rock Stadium with a first Masters 1000 title since 2017?

ByDavid Kane and Stephanie Livaudais

Published Mar 30, 2024

MATCH POINT: Jannik Sinner blitzes Daniil Medvedev to reach Miami Open final

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When Jannik Sinner and Grigor Dimitrov meet in the final of the Miami Open presented by Itau, they’ll both be looking for their second career ATP Masters 1000 trophies. But their roads to get there couldn’t be more different.

Sinner was a win away from lifting the trophy here on two occasions, falling to Hubert Hurkacz in his first ATP Masters 1000 final in 2021 and coming up short against Daniil Medvedev here last year. Back to where it all began in South Florida, should the Australian Open champion lift the trophy here he's set to rise to a new career-high ranking of world No. 2 come Monday.

For 32-year-old Dimitrov, who has been rolling back the clock all week with upsets over Alexander Zverev and world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz, it's a statement return to the top of the game. He's already set for a return to the ATP's Top 10, and seeks his first Masters 1000 trophy since 2017 on Sunday.

Who will win the 2024 Miami Open? David Kane and Stephanie Livaudais discuss the finalists in a Drop Shot Debate:

Sinner has dropped just one set in Miami, and thrashed No. 3 seed Daniil Medvedev 6-1, 6-2 in the semifinals.

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Steph's Pick: Jannik Sinner

LIVAUDAIS: A pre-tournament favorite—chosen by five of eight TENNIS.com editors as an Expert Pick for eventual champion—it’s no surprise to see Jannik Sinner back in the Miami Open final. It’s the Italian’s third appearance, having reached the championship match in 2021 and in 2023, where he fell to Daniil Medvedev in straight sets.

Their semifinal rematch proved to be a snapshot of just how much has changed for Sinner since then. The Italian won their next five meetings, including in the final of the Australian Open this year, his maiden Grand Slam victory, and in Miami, where he thrashed Medvedev 6-1, 6-2. Sinner advanced to the final at the expense of just one set, a challenge that came early on in the tournament in his third-round encounter with No. 25 seed Tallon Griekspoor. He has since settled into his usual serene and methodical headspace, far away from the 19-year-old who was once too nervous to sleep the night before his first Masters 1000 final here in 2021.

Now, it’s just another championship Sunday in Miami for Sinner—who faces Dimitrov as he seeks his second Masters 1000 title.

“It's a great day, Sundays, for tennis players,” Sinner said after his semifinal win. “If you're still in the tournament, it means that it's the best day, an exciting day. So I'm just trying to enjoy this moment.”

Dimitrov has rolled back the clock in Miami, and is set for a return to the ATP's Top 10 come Monday.

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DK's Pick: Grigor Dimitrov

KANE: And I thought one-handed backhands had no place at the top of men's tennis…

Barely a month after Stefanos Tsitsipas made a historic exit from the Top 10, meaning zero players with one-handed backhands would occupying that rarefied air in the ATP rankings, a new supreme has risen, and it’s an old favorite.

Grigor Dimitrov, né “Baby Fed” has long been a popular figure in the locker room and with fans, but has long struggled for the standard of consistency set by his vaunted namesake. Ranked No. 3 after winning the Cincinnati Masters and ATP Finals in 2017, the gregarious Bulgarian finished at a lowly No. 28 in 2021 and 2022 before showing signs of life at the end of 2023 with a semifinal and runner-up finish at the Shanghai and Paris Masters, respectively.

Carrying that momentum into 2024, Dimitrov began his push back towards the Top 10 for the first time since 2018 in Miami, where he has now beaten three Top 10 players—including top seed Carlos Alcaraz—en route to his second Masters 1000 final in under six months.

He played phenomenal tennis in the home stretch against No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev, shaking off a second-set hiccup to play an early Shot of the Year candidate, diving for a volley on what proved a decisive break point. Like Zverev, Sinner owns a head-to-head advantage on Dimitrov, but the 32-year-old is playing inspired tennis against an opponent who may be lacking for freshness after a busy Sunshine Swing.

Now set to return to the Top 10 next week, does Dimitrov have two more sets of magic left in Miami?

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