"I wish I gave him a bigger challenge": Alexander Zverev reflects on Madrid final defeat to Jannik Sinner

Alexander Zverev is ready to begin his campaign at the Rome Open this Friday, 8 May, against his compatriot Daniel Altmaier. The World No. 3 arrives in Rome after a heavy defeat in the Madrid Open final against Jannik Sinner – the only player who has beaten Zverev in the Masters 1000 events of 2026.

The German has seven Masters 1000 titles – two of them in Rome – and six other finals in the category. Last Sunday he could not celebrate in Madrid and was once again convincingly defeated by the Italian Sinner (1-6, 2-6).

Despite Sinner’s clear dominance in the Masters 1000 series this season, the player with the best results in 2026 in this category has actually been Zverev, who reached the semifinals in three Masters tournaments this year – in addition to the Madrid final.

“I've been losing to one man, but everybody's been losing to him,” Zverev said in a pre-tournament interview, after being defeated by Sinner in all four Masters 1000 events this season. “He's been a level—maybe two levels—above everyone else at the moment and playing fantastic tennis, so credit to him.”

“Even though I was a bit disappointed with how I played in the Madrid final, I wish I could have performed better and given him a bigger challenge. But he's been flawless.”

Zverev is one of the players with the most experience in Rome. With two titles there (2017, 2024) and another final in 2019, he holds a 27-7 record at the Italian Open and defends quarterfinal points this year – the round in which he was eliminated in 2025 by Lorenzo Musetti.

“I love this place. I love Italy in general. I love the old city of Rome. I just enjoy my time here, and it always helps when you're on the tennis court,” said the three-time Grand Slam finalist. “I feel like you always play a bit better when you're enjoying your time off the court, and that shows in the results. Of course, I want to continue building my form, continue playing good tennis, and I hope to do that here.”

For Zverev, Rome has been a key event in his calendar, where he faced members of the Big Three in each of his first three appearances. He debuted back in 2016 with a win over Grigor Dimitrov in the first round – before being eliminated by Roger Federer in the second round. A year later he won the title – his first Masters trophy – defeating Novak Djokovic in the final, while in 2019 he was beaten by Rafael Nadal in the final.

“I think I was very fortunate to play against the best in the world and across different generations. I played Roger, Rafa, Novak. I've played Carlos and Jannik now as well, so I’ve been lucky in that regard,” Zverev said. “In a way, I wish I had faced them less in the later stages of big events, but it was always a privilege, and I always enjoyed playing them.”

The 28-year-old recalled in particular the 2017 final against Djokovic, a tournament he entered as the 16th seed and at just 19 years old, defeating players such as Kevin Anderson, Fabio Fognini, Milos Raonic and John Isner, before overcoming Djokovic in the final, in what was only their first meeting.

Zverev will now aim to win his third Masters 1000 title in Rome and return to prominence in the final major event before Roland Garros – where his biggest expectations will undoubtedly be placed. Zverev opens on Friday against his compatriot Altmaier, while he could face a potential third-round clash against 29th seed Tallon Griekspoor.