Ex-ATP Pro Thinks Jannik Sinner Not Winning at Indian Wells or Miami Open Will Be Cause for Concern

Jannik Sinner will be bidding to win his first title at the Indian Wells Masters, which is set to be held on March 4.

Ex-ATP Pro Thinks Jannik Sinner Not Winning at Indian Wells or Miami Open Will Be Cause for Concern

Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

In Short
  • Jannik Sinner has not reached the finals in his first two tournaments of the season for the first time since 2024.
  • Former player Steve Johnson suggests that Sinner not winning at Indian Wells or Miami Open would raise concerns about his performance.
  • Sinner has no points to defend at the American Masters 1000s due to a previous doping ban, making his upcoming tournaments crucial.

Jannik Sinner lost the first two tournaments without making the final. And this happened for the first time since 2024 that Sinner exited in two back-to-back events without playing the title clashes.

At the Australian Open, Sinner’s campaign was ended by eventual runner-up Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. He was playing the first Major of the season as the two-time defending champion. His debut run at the Qatar Open then ended with a three-set defeat at the hands of Jakub Mensik in the quarterfinals.

The World No.2 skipped the Dubai Open and is gearing up for the Sunshine Doubles, the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open, also the first two Masters 1000 of the season. Former player Steve Johnson believes that if Sinner doesn’t win a title in either of the two events, it will be a cause for concern. The American said on the Nothing Major podcast:

There’s no reason to panic, but I don’t think if he wins Indian Wells or Miami, then you start to question things… Yeah just because of how good he is, right? He’s earned that right. But he’s lost to no one except for Carlos [Alcaraz] it seems like over the better part of two years, so I feel like if he starts losing to guys not named Carlos more often, that becomes a little perplexing. But he’s set this bar for himself, so he’s only got himself to blame and for the bar that he has set for how good he has been over the last three years.

Sinner doesn’t have any point to defend in the two American Masters 1000s, as he skipped both last year because of his three-month doping ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The four-time Grand Slam champion has yet to make the final in Indian Wells, losing twice in the semifinal stage (2023 and 2024).

In Miami, Sinner won in 2024 by defeating Grigor Dimitrov and lost twice in finals: in 2021 and in 2023 to Hubert Hurkacz and Daniil Medvedev, respectively. The Indian Wells Masters is set to start on March 4. Jack Draper will play as the defending champion.

Adriano Panatta slams the critics for claiming Jannik Sinner is in crisis

After his Qatar Open exit, Jannik Sinner admitted that he was having a “little downturn” but wasn’t worried about regaining his form. Because Sinner has been highly consistent since 2024, some think that he is in a crisis due to his recent struggles. But compatriot and former ATP pro Adriano Panatta is not of the same opinion.

Jannik Sinner (3)
Jannik Sinner (Image via X/Jannik Sinner HQ)

It is not true that Jannik is in crisis; only two tournaments were played this year. And who says that? Spanish media that would love it to be true. They would like Sinner to be in crisis, but it is not [true]. The reason for the theories about Sinner’s crisis is the fact that he did not reach the finals in the first two tournaments of the season, while Carlos Alcaraz won both.

Adriano Panatta told RAI

The last time the 24-year-old won a title was in last year’s ATP Finals by defeating Alcaraz and defending his crown. Alcaraz, on the other hand, clinched his career’s first Australian Open title by beating Djokovic, becoming the youngest man to win seven Grand Slam titles as well as to complete the Career Grand Slam in the Open Era. The 22-year-old continued his winning ways by lifting his maiden Qatar Open title by breezing past Arthur Fils.

At Indian Wells, Alcaraz will be bidding to win his third title following his wins in 2023 and 2024. Last year, the seven-time Major champion lost in the semifinals to Jack Draper, while at the Miami Open, he suffered a first-round exit.

Also read: Grigor Dimitrov Opens Up on Changes to His Game Since Injury against Jannik Sinner in Wimbledon