Outside the Lines: Sinner's Surprise & Clay Court Contenders

GM. This is Ad-Out Tennis, where we deliver your tennis insights like the paperboy - right to your digital front porch.

Here’s what we got for you today:

• Miami Open Recap

• Sinner’s Tremendous Background

• Clay Court Predictions

👇 Listen: Nick Kyrgios launches into media with his new podcast, Good Trouble. Check out what “good trouble” means to Gary Vaynerchuk.

MIAMI OPEN RECAP

Champions Rise, Legends Depart (and I Might Be Joining a Fan Club)

Buckle up, tennis nerds! The Miami Open was a rollercoaster this year, with upsets left and right. But through the smoke and volleys, 2 champions emerged, absolutely CRUSHING their brackets. We’re talking one. single. set. dropped. each.. over 2 freaking weeks. Let that sink in for a sec.

First up, we gotta talk about Danielle “Danimal” Collins. This woman wasn’t playing tennis, she was playing Jenga with her opponents, pulling out blocks one by one until the whole thing came crashing down. Rybakina, who’s been hotter than a Florida heatwave this year, didn’t stand a chance. But here’s the real kicker: this win marks the mic drop of a LEGEND’s retirement!

Big ups, Danielle, for going out on a freaking high note!

Now, let’s shift gears faster than the Ferarri F1 team and talk Jannik freaking Sinner. Look, I’ve been loud and proud about my Sinner fandom on social media, and honestly, at this point, I’m practically writing my application to join the Carota Boys fan club.

Anyone accepting new members? Asking for a friend.. (it’s me, I’m the friend).

Here’s why I’m obsessed: his 2024 record is a ridiculous 22-1. He’s played a bajillion sets (okay, 59) and has a win-loss set ratio (52-7) that would make a stat geek weep with joy. Plus, the dude’s got a trophy cabinet overflowing with hardware.

Is 2024 the year of the CARROT? The evidence is undeniable. Anyone who disagrees clearly hasn’t been paying attention. So here’s to the champions, the legends, and the rise of a new tennis superstar.

SINNER’S STORY

I dove into the life of Jannik Sinner, the young gun from Italy who’s got the world saying “Mamma Mia!”

Look.. this dude wasn’t born with a racket in his hand. He grew up carving down the Italian Alps on skis. And he used to shred so hard that he was a national championship.. seriously.

Fortunately for us tennis nerds, Sinner dabbled in other sports, like tennis, and eventually said “ciao” to the slopes. At 13, he packed his bags to train with the Italy’s best in tennis.

“Hey Siri, remind me to teach my son to ski before teaching him tennis.”

Fast forward a few years later, this kid is turning heads and making us quickly forget about the Big 3. Forza, Jannik! I’m on the bandwagon!

CLAY COURT CHAOS

Dust off the rackets, ‘cause the clay court season is upon us. Who’ll be the king and queen of the dirt?

Here are my predictions:

ATP

• Monte Carlo - Jannik Sinner

• Madrid - Carlos Alcaraz

• Rome - Jannik Sinner

• Roland Garros - Novak Djokovic