Jannik Sinner’s 2021 season was his breakthrough year, winning four ATP titles, and finally cracking the world’s top ten.
Sinner also reached his first Masters 1000 final at the Miami Open, where he ultimately finished as the runner-up to Hubert Hurkacz.
The Italian, coming off a first-round exit at Wimbledon that year, began the American hard-court swing with another early exit at the Atlanta Open.
After that, however, he arrived in D.C. for the Washington Open, where he would add another title to his name, while setting an impressive record.
The record Jannik Sinner set at the Washington Open in 2021
Sinner didn’t drop a set en route to the final in Washington that year, earning dominant victories over Emil Ruusuvuori, Sebastian Korda, Steve Johnson, and Jenson Brooksby.
In the championship match, he met home hope Mackenzie McDonald for the first time in his career, with the American looking to clinch his first title.
| Round | Opponent |
|---|---|
| Final | Mackenzie McDonald |
| Semi-Final | Jenson Brooksby |
| Quarter-Final | Steve Johnson |
| Round of 16 | Sebastian Korda |
| Round of 32 | Emil Ruusuvuori |
The bout went to a third and final set, in which Sinner edged his opponent, winning 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 to hold the trophy aloft.
With his triumph, he became the youngest ATP 500 champion since the category was created in 2009, at just 19 years of age.
His record was held for less than a season, however, as Carlos Alcaraz won the Rio Open in 2022 at 18 years and nine months old.
Jannik Sinner said how his age helped him win the Washington Open in 2021
After his win in D.C., Sinner said of his final bout with McDonald: “He was playing better in the crucial moments. But I tried to work for one more chance, and for one more chance and trying to break him like this.
“It was a little bit of a roller coaster, to be honest, because I started well in the third set. I tried to go a little bit up with the rhythm, trying to play a little bit faster.
“I broke him like this. And then trying to serve it out, I had two match points before, and then after, I was not serving well. He was returning well.
“I missed a couple of backhands and, you know, I think we both were there and, you know, trying to stay mentally strong and obviously physically if you’re playing nearly three hours. I played doubles as well this week.
“With 19, 20 [years of age], even if you play really long, you recover fast. So obviously it is physical, but I think most likely it was mental.”
Sinner didn’t appear at the Washington Open in 2022 to defend his title.
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