“I know I’m in the semis now, which is a relief”: Jannik Sinner celebrates another ATP Finals run

Jannik Sinner continued his excellent run in Turin by defeating Alexander Zverev 6-4, 6-3 in his second ATP Finals Round Robin match, a victory that not only secured his place in the semi-finals but also extended his dominance over the German to five consecutive wins. The World No. 1 now leads their head-to-head 6–4, maintaining his composure and precision in front of an electric Italian crowd.

Speaking on court immediately after the match, Sinner described the challenge of facing Zverev, whose serve remains one of the biggest weapons on the Tour. “It’s very difficult to read Sasha’s serve,” he said. “In the games when I broke him, he made a couple of second serves. I tried to stay there, looking out for every chance I could get.” His own delivery, he added, was the foundation of the performance: “I felt like I was serving very, very well today in the important moments, and that brings me confidence.”

There was also a sense of satisfaction mixed with relief as he sealed his spot in the semi-finals for the third straight year. “I know I’m in the semis now, which is a relief,” Sinner admitted with a smile. “It shows you have to play every point at 100 percent—it can get very dangerous at times. I’m happy how I handled it today.”

“Every point feels important here,” added the defending champion. “Especially against someone like Sascha, who can take the ball early and dominate from the baseline if you drop your level for even a few points.”

In his press conference, Sinner agreed with Zverev’s own assessment that the encounter had been tighter than the scoreboard suggested. “It was a very, very close match,” he said. “He had break chances in the first and second sets, but I served very well. He changed a couple of things tactically, and I was ready at times.”

He expanded on how those adjustments played out. “He was much faster than in Paris,” Sinner observed. “I tried to get into his mind a bit—thinking where I could serve, where he’s expecting me to serve—but he’s doing the same. It’s always a small battle of details, and today they went my way.”

When asked about Zverev’s earlier joke that he didn’t want to be drawn in the same group as him, Sinner shrugged it off with characteristic calm. “Mental pressure, no,” he replied. “Every match and every day is different. It doesn’t really matter how the head-to-head is or how the last match went.”

The Italian was also asked about his 28-match winning streak on indoor hard courts—a remarkable statistic that reflects both consistency and adaptability. Yet Sinner downplayed any sense of invincibility. “I didn’t play a lot indoors when I was young,” he admitted. “But I feel like it suits my game very well. You don’t have the sun, you always have the same feeling on the court. It helps you find rhythm and feel comfortable with your shots.”

That self-awareness defined his reflections throughout the evening. Sinner often pointed to the thin line separating victory and defeat at this level. “Maybe if I didn’t serve the way I served in the important moments, you never know what could have happened,” he said. “There were one or two points that decided each set. If those points go the other way, maybe it’s the same score but reversed.”

Such remarks highlight the mindset that has propelled him to No. 1 this year—a focus on detail without exaggeration, an ability to accept that outcomes depend on execution rather than emotion. Even when reminded that he has now beaten Zverev in five straight meetings, Sinner refused to make it about dominance. “It depends how you handle certain situations on the court,” he noted. “Some days you play well, some days not. I just try to be ready for every challenge.”

The Italian will now have to think about his next challenge against Ben Shelton, who lost in his two duels against Zverev and Auger-Aliassime. Sinner needs the victory if he wants to continue dreaming of finishing the year as No. 1—although the strong campaign by Carlos Alcaraz so far makes it seem that even that will not be enough. The Spaniard is one victory away from guaranteeing he takes the top spot in the rankings from Sinner, who for now can only cling to Alcaraz not continuing to rack up wins, and to winning the title undefeated.