Winning the Sunshine Double is so difficult, only 11 players have done it

The Sunshine Double consisting of the Indian Wells Masters and the Miami Open has been in existence since 1985 for the ATP Tour and 1989 for the WTA Tour. Since that time, 11 players have completed the feat of winning the Sunshine Double in the same year which essentially means they were undefeated in the month of March.

If this sounds easy, think again. Tennis in these two tournaments is played on opposite coasts and time zones on different surfaces with different balls. With no indoor courts, weather can be a factor so off days are not guaranteed. These are just the physical challenges of winning the Sunshine Double; mental challenges are also a factor.

Seven men and four women have won the Sunshine Double. Could the reigning Indian Wells champion Carlos Alcaraz be inducted into this exclusive group in 2024?

Who are the 11 players?

Four of the seven men are Americans who dominated the ATP Tour in the 1990s. They are Jim Courier, Michael Chang, Pete Sampras, and Andre Agassi. Marcelos Rios also accomplished this feat. The final two are men who have won it multiple times. Roger Federer is a 3-time Sunshine Double champion, and Novak Djokovic is a 4-time Sunshine Double champion.

Iga Swiatek is the most recent player to capture the Sunshine Double in 2022, and as the Indian Wells champion this year, she could achieve this for a second time in 2024. Swiatek would join elite company if she did. Steffi Graf is the only woman to win it more than once. Graf is a 2-time champion. Other women marking this accomplishment are Kim Clijsters and Victoria Azarenka.

Elena Rybakina came very close to winning the Sunshine Double in 2023. The Indian Wells champion fell short in Miami losing in the final to Petra Kvitova. Watch the Miami Open exclusively on the Tennis Channel through March 31, 2024.

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