The triumph of Jannik Sinner at the ABN AMRO Open, an ATP 500 event held on the hard courts of Rotterdam, allowed the young Italian to achieve a feat that only the esteemed trio of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer had in common. And that’s not all.
The Dutch ATP 500 tournament marks the second conquest for the Italian tennis prodigy, following his victory at the Australian Open. Sinner has emerged victorious in both events he has participated in this year, boasting an unbeaten record in 2024. Furthermore, he becomes the first player in 23 years to secure a title immediately after clinching his inaugural Grand Slam. Can you guess who achieved this feat last?
Jannik Sinner 🇮🇹 becomes the first player since 2001 to claim an ATP title right after winning his maiden Slam.
The last player to accomplish this remarkable feat was Lleyton Hewitt over two decades ago.
Neither Federer, Nadal, nor Djokovic managed to achieve this remarkable feat.pic.twitter.com/hTTFGuB7nK
Having played 12 matches in official tournaments, Sinner has emerged victorious in all 12. Such a remarkable start to the season has only been accomplished by the Big 3 in the past decade. These three tennis legends, who have undeniably dominated the sport in the last two decades, stand alone in reaching this significant milestone.
Jannik Sinner’s incredible performance since Beijing defies all logic.
Novak Djokovic has accomplished this feat multiple times and has gone even further. Nole has achieved this three times in the past decade. It occurred in 2016 when he emerged victorious in Doha and then at the Australian Open, with his winning streak interrupted at 14 victories due to his retirement in the quarter-finals in Dubai against Feliciano Lopez. It also happened in 2020, during the unique year marked by the Covid-ATP Cup and Australian Open, as well as Dubai, before the suspension of tournaments due to the pandemic.
Furthermore, in 2023, Djokovic triumphed in Adelaide and the Australian Open before suffering a loss in the semi-finals in Dubai against Medvedev, after a remarkable run of 15 consecutive wins. However, if we delve a bit further back than the aforementioned 10-year period, Novak Djokovic holds a record that currently appears extremely challenging to surpass: in 2011, he even achieved a staggering 41-0 start.
During this incredible run, Djokovic remained unbeaten for 41 matches (with 2 matches not being played due to the withdrawal of his opponents). He emerged victorious in the Australian Open, Dubai, Indian Wells, Miami, Belgrade, Madrid, and Rome, before finally succumbing to defeat in the semi-finals at Roland Garros against Roger Federer.
Speaking of Federer, he also accomplished this feat in 2018. The Swiss maestro won the Australian Open, accumulating seven victories, and similarly to Sinner, he already secured the title in Rotterdam, adding another 5 wins to his streak. However, his remarkable run was halted after 17 consecutive triumphs in the final of Indian Wells, where he was defeated by Del Potro.
In 2022, Rafael Nadal experienced a similar level of success, as he emerged victorious in his first twelve official matches of the season. He claimed the ATP 250 tournament in Melbourne, triumphed at the Australian Open, and emerged victorious in Acapulco. However, his streak came to an end in the final at Indian Wells, where he was defeated by Taylor Fritz, after an impressive run of 21 consecutive wins.
According to the Source tennisworldusa.org