After the Vienna Open final, Alexander Zverev openly shared his thoughts on Jannik Sinner, the rival who denied him the trophy and claimed his second title at the tournament. Sinner had already won the championship in 2023, and his latest victory also pushed their head-to-head record to 4-4, marking his third straight win over Zverev, including the Australian Open final earlier this season.
Their rivalry has grown into a dynamic mix of competitiveness and respect. According to Firstsportz, Zverev used his finalist’s speech to praise the Italian. “Me gustaría felicitar a Jannik, que ha alcanzado un nivel excepcional en los últimos dos años. Para mí, actualmente eres el mejor jugador del mundo. ¡Qué año tan increíble! Cuatro finales de Grand Slam y dos títulos de Grand Slam”.
Sinner’s rise has been steady and forceful
Out of eight finals he has reached, he has captured four major victories, triumphing at the Australian Open, Wimbledon and the China Open. This season, he has already appeared in four finals. Before lifting the trophy in Melbourne, he also won the BMW Open and the Stuttgart Open. At the Munich Open, he reached the business end of the tournament but fell short of the title.
Great to watch Vienna Open tennis final between two great players, @AlexZverev taking first set from @janniksin. pic.twitter.com/jLYnBt7EOE
— J Shandilya (@jjshandilya) October 26, 2025
Zverev highlighted Sinner’s evolution and the work behind it. “Esta semana, simplemente fuiste el mejor jugador aquí en Viena. A su equipo, felicitaciones, por supuesto. Los últimos dos años han sido increíbles. Sigues mejorando. Sé que Jannik tiene mucho que ver con eso, pero también has contribuido mucho. El progreso que ha logrado es impresionante”, dijo Zverev, quien reconoció el salto competitivo del italiano.
Now, their rivalry will move to Paris, where they will meet again at the final Masters 1000 of the season. Zverev enters as the defending champion after defeating Ugo Humbert in 2024. Sinner, meanwhile, has never advanced beyond the fourth round in the French capital and even skipped the event last year.
With momentum on Sinner’s side and pride on Zverev’s, Paris promises another chapter in one of the most intriguing duelos of the ATP tour.
