"I guess it's Maldives season for everyone huh?" - Jannik Sinner bumps into Alexander Zverev on plane to Maldives as off-season commences

Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev cannot seem to shake each other off. Despite meeting a number of times on the court this year, they have now both ended up on the same plane heading to the Maldives, which is becoming a tennis paradise.

The duo had both competed in the ATP Finals in Turin, clashing in the group stage. Sinner looked imperious throughout, defeating the German in straight sets as he kept a clean record towards a second consecutive ATP Finals triumph. It is the fourth time the pair have met this year, with Sinner winning all of them. In fact, you have to go back to the 2023 US Open to find the last time Zverev got one over the four-time Grand Slam champion.

In an alternate universe they would have clashed for a fifth time in the Davis Cup Finals. While Germany and Italy clashed in the semi-final stage, Sinner was nowhere to be seen. He had previously decided against competing for his country in Bologna. He had made the executive decision to prepare for next season, as he attempts to regain his Australian Open title, with the 2025 coincidentally played against Zverev.

While their meetings on the court have been regular, it is also expected seeing that they are two of the best players in the world. Them meeting on the exact same plane travelling to the Maldives is just plain ridiculous. Zverev posted on his Instagram page a picture of him in his seat with his headphones off, panning above him to show off a grinning Sinner. "I guess it's Maldives season for everyone huh?" Zverev wrote.

So far, the Maldives looks like the place to go if you are a tennis player. With the season at an end, many of the best have gone out to relax and put their feet up in one of the most beautiful places in the world.

It is the perfect spot for someone like Aryna Sabalenka to go. The world number one had recently lost in the WTA Finals against a brilliant Elena Rybakina, and needed to reset from that heart-breaking loss. She has chilled by the beach, had fancy meals and swan with dolphins.

With the WTA calendar finishing earlier than the ATP, a lot more women have started their holidays. This goes for the likes of Belinda Bencic, Jelena Ostapenko, Marketa Vondrousova and Katerina Siniakova have all flocked to the Maldives. They will soon be joined by Sinner and Zverev, who are able to now relax after a testing campaign.

After an up and down campaign with a lot of success, it seems that Sinner has switched off for the rest of the year. He tested his hand at a different sport: golf. It has become increasingly popular with many stars of the sport, including his arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz, Casper Ruud, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Andy Murray are all current or retired stars who enjoy golf in their downtime.

Similar to his fellow tennis players, Sinner has taken up golfing. He was filmed playing a spot of the sport. With the ball on the fairway, the 24-year-old ran up and in Happy Gilmore fashion launched the ball into the air and beyond. It caught Sinner by surprise, who burst out laughing while collapsing to the ground. It is fair to say that Sinner is not one of the most talented golfers out there. Thankfully, he is much better with a racket. This will be once again picked up as tennis heads Down Under at the start of 2026.