ATP Finals: Zverev Wins, but Everyone’s Talking About His Defiant Gesture Toward Jannik Sinner

Alexander Zverev looked very fired up and in top form in Turin, where he made his debut at the ATP Finals with a victory over Rafael Jodar. The German tennis player arrived at the Inalpi Arena wearing a flashy black jacket with a huge number one on the back—a clear message to everyone, from the fans to Jannik Sinner. It was a gesture that divided opinion and sparked a lot of discussion on social media.

After his decisive victory over Jodar, Zverev puffed out his chest, showing off all his pride as the circuit’s number one: “I think I’ve had a fantastic season. I think my record against the players here in Turin is good. Is there a difference between being the world No. 1 and being the best in the world? It’s a complicated question to answer, but I’m convinced I’ve had the best season of all.”

“Out of respect, we must also mention the injury that sidelined Sinner after Wimbledon. Carlos was injured as well. I think I was the best in the Grand Slam tournaments, and that was exactly my goal. I won two of them and then reached the final and the semifinals in the other two. As for the Masters 1000 events, there’s no doubt that Sinner was the best, winning five of them. But I think the most important thing was having the best season over the past twelve months.”

On his losing record against top-10 players: “Five of those losses came against Sinner—can we cross those off the list? He’s a robot, not a human being… I lost another one to Carlos Alcaraz; I don’t remember who the others were who beat me. The top 10 has changed a lot this year, and the way we look at the rankings today is different.”