Alexander Zverev sets record straight on who is the best player in the world right now

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Zverev ends Masters semi-final losing streak to set up Madrid Open Final against Sinner​

Alexander Zverev has broken his run of semifinal defeats at ATP Masters 1000 events, reaching the final of the Madrid Open after beating Alexander Blockx.

Zverev’s four previous semifinal losses all came against the same player, Jannik Sinner, whom he will face once again in Spain.

Sinner is aiming for a record fifth consecutive Masters title and booked his spot in the final with a comfortable win over Arthur Fils.

Looking ahead to the final, Zverev spoke highly of Sinner, a player he hasn’t beaten since 2023.

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How Alexander Zverev is approaching his showdown with Jannik Sinner in Madrid​

Speaking to BB Tennis, Zverev said: “Well, I think I have played quite well here. I’m in a Masters final. I think if you play poorly, you won’t make it to a Masters final.

“So I’m happy with my game, especially today. I think I played my best game today. Jannik is in the final too.

“Jannik is always in the final, so it’s nothing special for him. We’ll see. He is the best player in the world.

Zverev had already put together an impressive run just to get back to another semi-final, beating Rafael Nadal and then Carlos Alcaraz along the way.

The German’s path through Madrid also included wins over Tallon Griekspoor and Francisco Cerundolo before eventually falling short against Sinner.

Zverev’s clay-court history against Sinner​

Zverev is currently on an eight-match losing streak against Sinner, and the world number one holds a 9-4 lead in their head-to-head record.

Most of those meetings have taken place on hard courts—10 out of 13—but they’ve faced off three times on clay.

Their first match on the surface came at Roland Garros in 2020, where Sinner won in four sets.

Two years later, Zverev evened the score on clay by coming from a set down to beat Sinner in the quarterfinals of the Monte-Carlo Masters.

Earlier this month, they met again at the same event, but it was one-way traffic as Sinner cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 victory.

Read more:

• What Alexander Blockx learned from playing Alexander Zverev in the Madrid Open
• The prediction Rafael Nadal made about Kei Nishikori at Roland Garros in 2013 that came true
• Sebastian Korda pulls out of another Major ATP event after beating Carlos Alcaraz in Miami

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