KIMI ANTONELLI SHOUTS OUT JANNIK SINNER AFTER MIAMI GRAND PRIX WIN

The world No. 1 and the 19-year-old Formula 1 driver have lifted trophies on the same day for the third time this season.

© 2026 Kym Illman, Tennis Channel

Two of Italy’s biggest young stars are moving in sync, and Sunday offered the latest proof.

On the same day that Jannik Sinner lifted the trophy at the Mutua Madrid Open, he received a major shoutout from Formula 1 driver Kimi Antonelli following his victory at the Miami Grand Prix.

“Jannik has been doing great too,” Antonelli said after the race, which took place at the Hard Rock Stadium. “I want to dedicate this victory to (the late) Alex (Zanardi), but also to Jannik. He’s always been very kind to me.

“I’m just very happy that both of us are experiencing beautiful moments like these.”

A lifelong Formula 1 fan and an official ambassador for the sport, Sinner wasted no time dispatching No. 2 seed Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in Madrid on Sunday. The world No. 1 didn’t face a single break point, and wrapped up the win in just 58 minutes. The victory marked Sinner’s fourth title of the year, and his fifth consecutive ATP Masters 1000 triumph.

A few hours later, the 19-year-old Mercedes driver crossed the finish line in Miami, continuing the Italian sports bonanza with his third career race win.

Sinner and Antonelli are not just two of Italy’s brightest young sports stars—they’re also uniquely in sync when it comes to lifting trophies.

In one of the more unique cross-sport stats, each of Antonelli’s three grand prix wins in 2026 has come on the same day as one of Sinner’s Masters 1000 titles:

• March 15: Sinner wins Indian Wells Masters and Antonelli wins Chinese Grand Prix
• March 29: Sinner wins Miami Masters and Antonelli wins Japanese Grand Prix
• May 3: Sinner wins Madrid Masters and Antonelli wins Miami Grand Prix

GRANDEEE 🇮🇹 ❤️‍🔥 @janniksin and Kimi Antonelli have now won three titles on the same day 🤯 #MMOPEN #MiamiGP pic.twitter.com/Kkoyc9Q4l9

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 3, 2026

 

Back in March, Sinner had previously given the 19-year-old a shoutout after winning in Miami, where he defeated Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. After the final, Sinner signed the camera lens with the message: “Bez, Kimi, Italia”—a reference to the two other Italian winners on that day, including Antonelli in Formula 1 and Marco Bezzecchi in MotoGP.

Much like Sinner’s own ATP Tour breakthrough at age 22, Antonelli has long been tipped for Formula 1 greatness and now carries the expectations of a nation closely tracking his rise.

Toto Wolff, the Mercedes team principal, has already cautioned about the growing spotlight surrounding the two young stars.

“The easier bit is making sure that he (Antonelli) keeps both feet on the ground here in the team... The bigger problem is the Italian public,” Wolff said.

“Now that they are not qualified for football (in FIFA World Cup), it’s all about Sinner and Antonelli, and Antonelli and Sinner. Sinner won in Madrid, so it’s the two that are superstars.”

Sinner is next scheduled to compete on home soil in Rome for the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, which begins on May 6, before heading to Paris for Roland Garros.

Meanwhile, Antonelli will turn his attention to the Canadian Grand Prix and the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix—the latter set for June 7, the same day as the Roland Garros final.

- Stephanie Livaudais

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COCO GAUFF DOMINATES SWIATEK TO REACH MADRID FINAL FOR THE FIRST TIME

MADRID -- Coco Gauff emphatically defeated Iga Swiatek for the first time on clay, 6-1, 6-1 Thursday to advance to the Mutua Madrid Open final.

It was over in an astonishing 64 minutes and constituted a thoroughly complete breakthrough victory for the 21-year-old American who has now beaten Swiatek three straight times. At one time, Swiatek led the head-to-head 11-1 -- and Gauff is the player she’s beaten the most in her career.

Gauff was very nearly flawless. After Swiatek won the match’s opening game, Gauff reeled off an incredible 11 straight games, winning 12 of the last 13.

Gauff lost only two points on her first serve and finished with six aces. She won 57 of 83 points and didn’t face a break point. Gauff finished with 18 winners and only four unforced errors. Swiatek was credited with seven winners and 21 unforced errors.

The difference?

"I think the mentality that I had the whole match,” Gauff said in her on-court interview. “I was aggressive and played with margin. Maybe it wasn’t her best level.

“For me, it was just making sure my level stayed the same. In the second, I raised it.”

The last time Swiatek dropped two or fewer games on any surface came in a 6-0, 6-2 Round-of-32 loss to Jelena Ostapenko in Birmingham.

This one was, frankly, difficult to fathom.

Swiatek, a four-time champion at Roland Garros, has been nearly unbeatable on red clay. Only Steffi Graf (.750) has a higher win rate against WTA Top 10 opponents than Swiatek (.700) in the previous 35 years.

It was another painfully slow start for Swiatek. In her opening match, she trailed teenager Alexandra Eala a set and a break before coming through. In Wednesday’s quarterfinal against Madison Keys, Swiatek dropped the first set 6-0 before rallying to win in three.

Here, she held serve to start the match -- and lost six consecutive games. For the second straight day, Swiatek left the court after losing six straight games in the first set.

It happened this way: Gauff scored the first break of serve in Swiatek’s second service game. Coming forward, Swiatek couldn’t land a backhand volley and it was 2-1, Gauff. And then it happened again when a loose backhand followed by an errant forehand gave Gauff a 4-1 lead. The third straight break, coming on Gauff’s second set point -- it was a lunging backhand that traveled wide -- cost Swiatek the set.

Gauff, whose serve has improved as the tournament progressed, won all nine of her first-serve points (four of them aces) and did not face a break point. She hit 11 winners, against only four unforced errors. Swiatek, on the other hand, had 13 unforced errors and only five winners.

It continued in the second set. Gauff broke Swiatek for the fourth straight time (and eighth consecutive game overall) by lacing a forehand winner. Swiatek’s frustration was evident when she was called for an uncharacteristic code violation for an audible obscenity.

Trailing 5-0, Swiatek finally held serve but Gauff closed it out in a love game that ended with another unreturnable serve.

- WTA Staff

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