Jannik Sinner bounced back at the Indian Wells Open after an indifferent start to the season.
The Italian had kicked off his 2026 campaign with a failed title defence at the Australian Open, where he was beaten by Novak Djokovic in the semifinals.
Then, Sinner crashed out of the Qatar Open in the quarterfinals, losing to 20-year-old Jakub Mensik in three sets.
Who is the better hard court player – Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner?
But in Indian Wells, the four-time major champion went all the way to claim his first title of the year and 25th overall.
Following his triumphant run in California, Andre Agassi’s former coach, Brad Gilbert, said Sinner’s game is very similar to that of two legends.
Brad Gilbert gives his verdict on Jannik Sinner’s playstyle
Speaking in an episode of the ‘Big T‘, Gilbert said: “On a hot day like today, Andre would tap me on the leg and say it’s a nice day to make someone suffer.
“If you put Andre and Djokovic in the blender, you come up with Sinner.
Has anyone in tennis history ever hit the ball as hard as Jannik Sinner does?
“He kind of plays to their style, a modern version of what Djokovic did and what Andre did with ball control offence.”
Former American player Coco Vandeweghe added: “You get players like Jannik Sinner and Andre Agassi and Novak Djokovic and you think what could be the next generation?
“What is that generation going to look like! That’s scary!”
How close Jannik Sinner now is to Carlos Alcaraz in the rankings
With his victory at the Indian Wells Open, Sinner has now closed the gap on his rival, Carlos Alcaraz, at the top of the ATP rankings.
Sinner did not play in Indian Wells last year due to a three-month suspension he received, which lasted until the Italian Open.
Having won the tournament this year, he has picked up 1000 ATP points, bringing his tally up to 11,400.
Alcaraz’s total stayed at 13,550, as he was knocked out in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Open, the same result he achieved last year.
Sinner will have another chance at gaining points at the Miami Open, but so will Alcaraz, who crashed out of the event in the second round in 2025.
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