Alexander Zverev seeks first win over Jannik Sinner since 2023 US Open in Madrid final

“To win the biggest tournaments in the world, you have to beat the best. And Jannik is the best in the world right now.”

That about sums up Alexander Zverev’s point of view heading into Sunday’s Mutua Madrid Open final with a foe on a 22-match win streak.

The No. 2 seed booked his first title match of the season Friday evening on Manolo Santana Stadium, ending Alexander Blockx’s terrific run. Following his 6-1, 6-4 victory over Flavio Cobolli, Zverev once again bolted out of the starting blocks to seize control of his latest encounter.

While Blockx saved a pair of break points to hold for 5-4 in the second set, his much-more experienced opponent broke the next time of asking before closing out a 6-2, 7-5 win. As a result, Zverev snapped a six-match losing streak in 1000-level semifinals.

“Generally, I’m feeling well. I look forward to the final,” Zverev told Tennis Channel’s Prakash Amritraj. “I think it’s going to be a very tough match.”

Tough is putting it lightly for Zverev, even as a two-time former champion of this event with nine career clay-court titles. That’s because Sinner has been unstoppable in Masters 1000 competition, seeking to become the first man to ever win five consecutive trophies in the series that debuted in 1990.

In the four triumphs leading up to his first Madrid final, Sinner took out Zverev in the semifinal round of eventual title runs at 2025 Paris and the first three '26 stops of Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. Beyond that, Zverev has not managed to defeat Sinner since the 2023 US Open—the last major before the Italian joined the Grand Slam winner’s club.

All in all, the dominant stretch has amounted to Sinner running off eight consecutive victories against Zverev following a four-match swing in favor of the German. Their last 12 sets have been swept by the four-time major champion, too.

“He's world No. 1, and hasn't lost a match since beginning of February. Right now he's definitely the best player in the world,” Zverev said in his press conference. “I have to play very, very good tennis to have a chance. But I know I'm capable of doing that, and I will try to do my best on Sunday.”

Zverev is through to his fourth championship at the Caja Mágica, previously tasting victory in 2018 and 2021. A victory by Sinner would move him within one 1000 event host—his home tournament in Rome—of joining Novak Djokovic as the only players to ever complete a Career Masters set.