Alexander Zverev has now lost eight consecutive matches against Jannik Sinner and if his mid-match comments were not an indicator of the challenge he faces both on court and mentally, then his post-match reaction painted a clearer picture.
At the start of the 2024 season, Zverev held a 4-1 advantage in his head-to-head rivalry with the Italian, but his win in the round of 16 at the 2023 US Open remains the last time he tasted success against Sinner.
After seven wins in a row on hard courts, Sinner showed that he can also do it on clay as he brushed the German aside in the semi-finals of the Monte Carlo Masters.
While trailing 1-4 in the opening set, Zverev made a blunt comment about playing against the world No 2 as he was overheard telling his father and coach, Alexander Zverev Senior, “I don’t know how to play him (Sinner).”
The world No 3 never recovered from that poor start and the four-time Grand Slam winner eventually secured a 6-1, 6-4 win to set up a final clash against top seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
During the post-match press conference, a downbeat Zverev once again emphasised the challenges he faces when taking on Sinner.
“If you don’t play at your highest level against Jannik, you lose very quickly,” he is quoted as saying by Eurosport Germany. “I might not have played that well in Indian Wells, and here I was perhaps a little tired.
“But if you’re not in top form, you have no chance against Jannik, because it’s like playing against a wall. He doesn’t let anything through.”
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Zverev has won only two sets against Sinner in their last eight matches, with the last one coming in the Vienna final in 2025 as the Italian has won five consecutive matches in straight sets.
“In Miami it was a much more even match. Yes, I lost in two sets, but the second set could have gone in my favour – I felt I had more chances than him in the second set,” the three-time Grand Slam finalist said. “Here, on the other hand, I didn’t have many chances, so that’s the main difference.”
The 28-year-old added: “Today I won five games… The weaknesses were on my side, certainly not his.”
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