Kamal Ghorui
Jannik Sinner started his 2026 Miami Open run with a calm win, but the match did not stay simple for long. On March 21, at the main stadium court in Miami, the Italian beat Damir Dzumhur 6-3, 6-3. The score looked easy, but there was a strange moment in the middle that caught everyone’s attention. A fan from the crowd kept shouting, and it began to affect the players on court.The situation quickly turned tense. Even though the fan seemed to support Jannik Sinner, the way he was shouting disturbed Damir Dzumhur during points. Both players looked uncomfortable. The chair umpire had to step in, and for a few minutes, the match felt more about the crowd than the tennis. After the match ended, Sinner showed respect by apologizing to his opponent for what had happened.
Jannik Sinner and Damir Dzumhur face disruption as crowd incident forces umpire intervention
The incident happened during an important stage of the match. Damir Dzumhur first raised the issue. He pointed out a fan in a green shirt and told chair umpire Renaud Lichtenstein that the shouting was affecting him. Jannik Sinner also agreed that the fan’s behavior was not right, even if it sounded like support.Renaud Lichtenstein then spoke to the match supervisor during the game. He said, “Damir is upset with the guy with the green shirt and Jannik is telling me he’s baiting on the back. I don’t know what we should do. Maybe we could talk to him to relax.” The supervisor replied, “We’ve got security on the way. So… I think he’s just an idiot.”Security was sent to handle the situation, and the match continued without further trouble. Still, the moment stayed in focus. When the match ended and both players met at the net, Jannik Sinner took a moment to say sorry to Damir Dzumhur. It was a small gesture, but it showed his sportsmanship.Apart from the incident, Sinner’s performance was strong. With this win, he reached 24 straight sets won at ATP Masters 1000 events, matching a record once set by Novak Djokovic. Speaking after the match, he said, “I feel like the scoreboard matters at times. For me, I try to improve as a player and put myself in the position to play as many matches as possible. I always treat every opponent in the same way, trying to come on court and do my best with a great attitude and trying to go for it.” Sinner will now face Corentin Moutet in the next round, where he has a chance to break that record.
