{"id":109346,"date":"2026-05-02T11:25:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T10:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/?p=109346"},"modified":"2026-05-02T14:11:20","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T13:11:20","slug":"sinner-vs-zverev-clash-of-the-favourites-in-madrid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/sinner-vs-zverev-clash-of-the-favourites-in-madrid\/","title":{"rendered":"Sinner vs. Zverev: clash of the favourites in Madrid"},"content":{"rendered":"

Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner will square off on Sunday in the Mutua Madrid Open singles final, where they will have an opportunity to stamp their authority in the heart of the European clay swing. The German two-time champion will be bidding for one of his most emblematic triumphs, while Italy\u2019s world No. 1 could claim one of the biggest titles yet to adorn his trophy cabinet. It will be a formidable clash between the top two seeds in the Caja Magica.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe hasn\u2019t lost a match since early February\u201d. Asked on his thoughts coming into the final, Zverev\u2019s mind went straight to this frightening fact. His opponent for the title in Madrid has practically forgotten what it feels like to lose. He is a winning machine. Indeed, Sinner comes into Sunday\u2019s tie in astonishing form, with 22 wins on the trot, quite the claim to the throne. It is perhaps no surprise that Alexander brought this up; the Italian defeated him in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo, pointing him to the exit in the last three Masters 1000s he has played.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAt this point I think he\u2019s the best player in the world, I have no doubt. I need to play tennis at a very high level to have a chance, but I know I\u2019m capable of it. I\u2019ll try and give my all on Sunday\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zverev will be vying to claw his way back into a head-to-head (4-9) in which he has lost the last eight matches. The German, who has not defeated Sinner since the 2023 season, is hoping to rediscover the key to unlocking his opponent on clay, a surface on which he tends to find his A-game once he has bedded in. In his opinion, his fortnight in the Spanish capital has led him to a point where he feels at ease on centre court, something that could balance out the match.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a question of time. The timing is completely different on hard court\u201d, he explained. \u201cOnce I\u2019m used to it, I know I can play well on clay. It just takes me a while. I think players like Jannik and Carlos can play really well in the first week. Historically, I\u2019ve won all the Masters 1000s on clay except Monte Carlo. I reached the semis, but never the final. Maybe I need more time than others, but right now I\u2019m feeling good. I\u2019m in the final and that makes me happy. I have to give myself the best opportunity to win on Sunday\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other side of the net, Sinner will be bidding to complete a historic masterpiece. The Italian is on the verge of becoming the first player to win five straight ATP Masters 1000 titles. Jannik has earned his opportunity through uncontested dominance at the top of the ATP Tour, a position he will be looking to strengthen even further in the Caja Magica.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m happy. It makes me happy to be in the final in Madrid for the first time. It means a lot to me\u201d, said Sinner, who had never previously won a match after the round of sixteen at the event. \u201cThe tournament has been fantastic once again. Whatever happens on Sunday, it has been another positive tournament\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

So far, the world No. 1 has efficiently carved his way through the draw, dropping just one set en route to the final in the Manolo Santana Stadium. The extra fuel remaining in his tank could prove pivotal as he attempts to rewrite the history books in the potentially monumental match.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve played a lot of matches in the last month and a half, going very far in every tournament. It\u2019s a good sign but, at the same time, you tend to feel a bit more tired. When you play an important match, like a quarter-final, semis or finals, there\u2019s also adrenaline that gives me a boost\u201d, explained the Italian.<\/span><\/p>\n

And what a boost. Sinner has played imperial tennis in the last few rounds of the tournament; he nullified all seven break points against Rafael J\u00f3dar in the quarter-finals, while managing to prevent Arthur Fils from getting any in the first place in the semis.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI try to remain calm in moments of pressure. To find calm in those difficult moments. That\u2019s just me. It doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s good or bad, I think we\u2019re all different\u201d, said the Italian, who also appreciates the support of the crowd. \u201cThe fans can give you a lot of positive things. When I play in Italy, they are very important to me. I always say you have an extra shot if you can connect with the crowd\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

With no home players in the title bout, Madrid\u2019s affection will be shared between the two candidates to the throne. The world\u2019s No. 1 player or the active player with the most finals at the tournament. The Caja Magica is preparing for a genuine tennis fiesta.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner will square off on Sunday in the Mutua Madrid Open singles final, where they will have an opportunity to stamp their authority in the heart of the European clay swing. The German two-time champion will be bidding for one of his most emblematic triumphs, while Italy\u2019s world No. 1 could […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":109233,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"mc4wp_mailchimp_campaign":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[838,837],"tags":[842,1067],"class_list":["post-109346","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-noticias-tenis-masculino-en","category-noticias-tenis-en","tag-alexander-zverev-en-2","tag-jannik-sinner-en-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109346","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109346"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109346\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109347,"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109346\/revisions\/109347"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/109233"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109346"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109346"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mutuamadridopen.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109346"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}