Jannik Sinner is once again through to the Cincinnati Open semifinals, producing a dominant performance against Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. His rock-solid returning game and relentless baseline pressure saw him drop just two games in the match, underlining why he is currently the most dangerous player on hard courts.
With this victory, Sinner has now improved to an astonishing 84–6 in his last 90 matches on the surface, giving him a win rate of 93 percent during this period. Such numbers place him among the very best hard-court stretches in tennis history.
An Elite Win Percentage
Sinner’s overall career win percentage on hard courts has now climbed above 80%, a mark achieved by only a select few players in the Open Era. Considering his age and upward trajectory, it seems highly likely that he will improve this figure even further. As the season enters its final stretch, the 23-year-old Italian is firmly the man to beat on the blue cement.
Entering Rare Company
This victory also marked Sinner’s 25th consecutive win on hard courts, extending a streak that began after his loss in the Beijing final last year. In doing so, he joins truly elite company, becoming just the fifth player in the Open Era to record such a streak. The others? Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Andy Murray.
Among this group, Federer holds the record with an extraordinary 56-match winning streak on hard courts between 2005 and 2006. Djokovic’s best run came between 2010 and 2011, when he strung together 35 straight wins. Nadal’s peak hard-court run was 30 consecutive wins between 2012 and 2013. Murray, meanwhile, enjoyed 28 straight victories from late 2016 into early 2017.
If Sinner wins Cincinnati, he will move to within one victory of matching Murray’s tally. A triumph at the US Open immediately afterward would leave him just one shy of Djokovic’s mark. Given his current form and dominance, both milestones appear well within reach.
A Historic Run in Progress
Sinner’s dominance is not limited to his current streak. He has won 39 of his last 40 matches on hard courts, a stretch that could have been even more remarkable had he been able to compete in Indian Wells and the Miami Open earlier this year. The level of consistency he is showing suggests that even Federer’s seemingly untouchable 56-match record might one day be in danger.
The truth is, Sinner is in the midst of a truly historic run. If he does surpass Federer’s record, it will be nothing short of remarkable. Yet, considering his current trajectory, such an achievement might not be shocking at all. Tennis history is unfolding in front of us, and Jannik Sinner is writing it with every match he plays.
Main Photo Credit: Mike Frey – Imagn Images
