The first point of the Mutua Madrid Open final between Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev appeared to be a lie. With Sinner serving to start the match, Zverev won the point. He wouldn't win the game, nor the next one, nor the next one, nor the one after that. The ATP No. 1 was ruthless at the beginning, racing out to a 5-0 lead in less than 20 minutes.
The Italian had a lot to play for. He was trying to become the first man to win five straight Masters 1000, which he had done dating back to Paris at the end of 2025. He not only won those events, but he also rarely lost a set. Just two in all that time, in fact.
Meanwhile, the German was playing with a seemingly injured back. That he made the final at all was a testament to his talent. Beating Sinner with or without the ailment was a different matter altogether. The Italian had won the last eight meetings and is clearly the best player in tennis currently.
Jannik Sinner dominant against Alexander Zverev in the final of the 2026 Mutua Madrid Open
The issue for Zverev at the onset of the final was two-fold. He wasn't serving as well as normal, and he is usually metronomic in that phase, among the best on the ATP tour. The German was also playing Sinner at his absolute best, something that would cause almost all players to wilt. Only Carlos Alcaraz, who is out for a while with an injured wrist, can rival the Italian in top form.
Still, while Sinner took the first set 6-1, and all signs pointed to him having an easy time of things the rest of the way, he had to not get too relaxed or drop in form. He knew that, too.
After Zverev got a hold to start the second set and Sinner did the same, the Italian broke the German in the third game. If there was any doubt about the outcome remaining, it seemed gone at that point, especially after Sinner consolidated the break with an easy hold. Any point won by Zverev at this point seemed like a major accomplishment.
While Sinner was the heavy favorite entering the match, he was playing so efficiently against the third-best player on the ATP tour that it was a shocking display. He would go on to take set two 6-2, have 18 winners and only five unforced errors, and win his first title in Madrid.
Next for Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev is the Italian Open in Rome. After winning the Madrid Masters and increasing his lead over ATP No. 2 Alcaraz to nearly 1,400 points, the only Masters event he hasn't won is, oddly, his home tournament. He will be the heavy favorite in Rome to win his record sixth straight Masters 1000.
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