No 1 Membership
From Courier to Federer & Djokovic, reliving ATP No. 1 Membership Sunshine Double sweeps
ATPTour.com appears again at gamers who swept the Indian Wells and Miami titles
March 02, 2026
Stephen Dunn /Allsport
Jim Courier was the primary participant to win the Sunshine Double in 1991.
By ATP Employees
From the dry desert situations of Indian Wells to the sticky humidity of Miami, the Sunshine Double is a problem that few have managed to beat with each trophies in tow.
Simply seven males have swept each the BNP Paribas Open and the Miami Open introduced by Itau in the identical season, a listing dominated by former World No. 1s.
Novak Djokovic has reigned victorious throughout the Sunshine Double a document 4 instances, whereas Roger Federer achieved it thrice. The Swiss is the newest participant to realize the feat, having finished so in 2017.
Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Daniil Medvedev, three of the 29 members within the ATP No. 1 Membership, are amongst those that will quickly start their quest of becoming a member of the unique record of these to triumph in Indian Wells and Miami in the identical season.
*ATP No. 1 Membership members highlighted in daring
Jim Courier was the primary to win the Sunshine Double in 1991 on the age of 20. The American started Indian Wells because the No. 26 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings earlier than happening a career-defining run, not solely in California and south Florida, however the remainder of the season.
Courier, who wanted a fifth-set tie-break to win a three-hour, 30-minute Indian Wells last in opposition to Frenchman Man Overlook, would declare his first main title at Roland Garros that yr. Utilizing his devastating inside-out forehand to nice impact, Courier additionally reached the US Open last, serving to his ascension to World No. 1 for the primary time in 1992.
Courier’s countryman Pete Sampras adopted swimsuit throughout the Sunshine Double in 1994. Sampras was No. 1 on the time, however arrived in Indian Wells nonetheless looking out to seek out his groove on the match, having gained seven matches throughout his first 5 appearances. He turned that round in emphatic vogue in ‘94, successful a five-set Indian Wells last earlier than efficiently defending his Miami crown two weeks later.
The 1994 Miami last, one in all 34 Lexus ATP Head2Head duels between Sampras and Andre Agassi, is usually remembered for Agassi’s sportsmanship. After studying that Sampras was in poor health with a abdomen drawback, Agassi agreed to delay the championship match till the next day, permitting his rival extra time to recuperate from his illness. “If I couldn’t beat Pete wholesome, I didn’t should win the match,” Agassi stated on the time, in response to The New York Instances.
In 1998, Chilean Marcelo Rios gained the Sunshine Double to safe his rise to World No. 1. Rios started that season because the No. 10 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings, however in simply three months, he surged to the highest. Rios dropped only one set in Indian Wells — a dramatic second-set tie-break within the last in opposition to Greg Rusedski that the Briton gained 17/15, testifying how a lot it took to say a single set off the Chilean throughout his Sunshine Double run.
For Rios, a double prize was then on the road in Miami. He would turn out to be World No. 1 if he gained the title. The third seed did simply that, defeating Agassi within the championship match.
Agassi would get pleasure from his second within the Sunshine Double highlight three years later in 2001. The American downed three Prime 10 gamers throughout each tournaments, together with a straight-sets victory in opposition to nice rival Sampras within the Indian Wells last.
Then got here Federer and Djokovic, the one gamers to finish the Sunshine Double on a couple of event. In 2005, Federer’s hopes of reaching the feat for the primary time had been hanging by a thread. The Swiss miraculously got here again from two units to like down within the Miami last to flee none aside from Rafael Nadal. That dramatic Federer-Nadal last was a yr faraway from their first Lexus ATP Head2Head assembly, coincidentally on the identical venue. The rivals would go on to face one another 40 instances of their illustrious careers.
In 2006, Federer operated on a distinct airplane. Throughout the Sunshine Double, the Swiss dropped two units in 12 matches, a snapshot of Federer’s begin to the yr. Federer misplaced one match throughout the first three months of 2006.
Staying with dominant streaks, Djokovic’s 2011 run stands among the many biggest. The Serbian gained his first 41 matches of the 2011 season, together with triumphs in Indian Wells and Miami. Djokovic downed rivals Federer and Nadal within the Indian Wells semi-finals and last, respectively, and would once more defeat the Spaniard within the Miami title match.
Djokovic turned the Sunshine Double into his area from 2014-16. He accomplished a hat-trick, leaving each occasions with the trophy for 3 consecutive years. In 2016, the Belgrade native, who boasts a document 428 weeks spent at No. 1 within the PIF ATP Rankings, ousted 4 Prime 10 gamers throughout each tournaments.
From Courier’s breakthrough in 1991 to Djokovic’s record-setting dominance, the Sunshine Double has remained a uncommon proving floor: Win each Indian Wells and Miami, and you might be certain for legendary standing.
