Alexander Zverev makes history and sends a message to Jannik Sinner
Alexander Zverev will face Jannik Sinner in the semifinals of the Indian Wells Masters 1000. The German easily beat Frenchman Arthur Fils with a (6-2 6-3), while Sinner won against Learner Tien by (6-1 6-2), showing great form. The match between the two promises to be a spectacle and will decide who goes to the finals in the ‘Tennis Paradise’ tournament. For Zverev, this semifinal is a special achievement: he is the fifth tennis player in history to reach the semifinals in all nine Masters 1000s, along with such great champions as Nadal, Djokovic, Federer and Murray: “It is very special to be one of the five players in history to have succeeded” said Zverev.
A year ago, the 1997 class had left California with great disappointment, eliminated in the second round by Tallon Griekspoor. This year, however, the tune has changed, and Alexander Zverev said he was pleased with his game: “I think I played faster today than I have in the last few matches, and I took away the time and the ability to be extremely aggressive. When I can do that, I think it’s really very helpful for me.”
Zverev will play against Sinner on March 14 and is looking forward to facing him in the semifinals, “I think we’ve played pretty close matches. Even the last few have been very balanced, except for the one in Paris where I was injured. In the last two years he has been one of the two best players in the world. He and Carlos have won all the Slams and the big tournaments. Obviously it’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”
Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner have faced each other ten times and the Italian has won six matches, as many as five in their last six encounters. This year they are playing each other for the first time, having played four times in 2025: in all four matches Sinner won, including finals at the Australian Open and Vienna Open. The Indian Wells semifinal will thus be a new chapter in their rivalry, with Zverev poised to confirm the ease of play he showed in the last match.
