It’s been a wild ride for Jannik Sinner this season. The Italian sensation just reclaimed the World No. 1 ranking by winning the Paris Masters, defeating Felix Auger-Aliassime without dropping a single set. Yet, despite the title and the celebrations, Sinner’s reign will be short-lived. Because he’s expected to drop back to World No. 2, behind Carlos Alcaraz, when the ATP Finals begin in Turin. Still, temporary or not, Sinner may soon do something that will remain in the history books, something that Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, and Roger Federer were unable to by the age of twenty-four.

On X, tennis journalist Bastien Fachan made the intriguing observation that,  “If Jannik Sinner wins Indian Wells next year, he will have won every major hard-court event by age 24… no one has ever done it before age 30.” Indian Wells, which is scheduled for March 2026, might be the final piece needed to complete Sinner’s expanding legend.

He has already won 20 hard-court titles, accounting for 87% of his total trophy collection. These include the Australian Open (2024, 2025), US Open (2024), ATP Finals (2024), and numerous Masters 1000 and ATP 500 titles from Miami, Shanghai, Cincinnati, and Vienna. He’s played at Indian Wells before; his best run came in 2024 when he reached the semi-finals but lost to Carlos Alcaraz.

But let’s pause for context.

Comparing that to the Big 3, Novak Djokovic has 71 hard-court titles and is the only man with a career Golden Masters, winning all 9 ATP Masters 1000 events, though he didn’t complete his hard court sweep until age 31 (Cincinnati 2018 being the last). Roger Federer also has 71 hard-court titles, but didn’t win the Paris Masters until he was 30. Rafael Nadal, despite his 25 hard-court trophies, never managed to capture Miami, Paris, or the ATP Finals.

So, while all three dominated tennis, none conquered every major hard-court event before 30. So yes, when Jannik Sinner steps onto the courts at Indian Wells next spring, it won’t just be another tournament. Whether he’s ranked No. 1 or No. 2 by then might not even matter. Because if he wins there, it’ll mark something much larger. And just a day ago, he added another page to his story, making history once again.

Jannik Sinner didn’t blink once in Paris

Jannik Sinner just keeps rewriting the script. The 24-year-old lit up Paris by winning the 2025 Rolex Paris Masters, beating Felix Auger-Aliassime 6-4, 7-6(4) in the final, and he didn’t drop a single set the entire week. Not one. That kind of clean sweep doesn’t happen often.

In fact, only three players had done it before him at Paris: Stefan Edberg (1990), Roger Federer (2011) and Novak Djokovic (2014, 2019). And the way Sinner did it was calm, calculated, and with that fire that’s become his trademark. He picked up right where he left off in Vienna, extending his indoor winning streak to 26 matches and reminding the rest of the tour of his dominance right before the ATP Finals.

It’s not just another trophy for him either, but the one that has pushed him back to World No. 1, at least for now. However, the story is far from finished.

The ATP Finals in Turin, the season’s grand finale, could cement his position at the top for the 2025 season. Jannik Sinner simply took advantage of the window of opportunity that Alcaraz’s early departure from Paris created, but he could end the year as the official World No. 1 if he wins the Finals, making the race a nailbiter.

Alcaraz will persevere though if he accumulates enough points, as is likely. Sinner, however, appears unconcerned with the calculations. After Paris, he stated calmly,  “I just want to play the best tennis I can.”. Perhaps that’s the true story, not about records or rankings, but about a player who has figured out how to be present while creating history. One week at a time, one composed serve, one bold forehand.