Jannik Sinner is set to face Alexander Zverev in the Madrid Open final after defeating Arthur Fils. Sinner’s victory keeps him on track for a record fifth consecutive Masters 1,000 title. The Italian won his 22nd successive match to reach his first Madrid final.
Sinner’s Dominance Continues
Sinner, the world number one, overcame Arthur Fils in straight sets. He broke Fils three times to deny the Frenchman a place in his first final at this level. Sinner took the first set 6-2, breaking twice. Fils, the 21st seed, had won the clay-court Barcelona Open two weeks prior.
Fils was up 3-2 in the second set, having saved two break points. However, Sinner broke to move 5-4 ahead. He then served out the match to progress 6-2 6-4.
Sinner has already won the opening three ATP 1,000 events of the season in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte Carlo. He also triumphed in Paris last year.
- Sinner is the fourth player to reach all nine Masters 1,000 finals, joining Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer.
- He is the youngest to achieve this feat.
- Sinner is the first player born in the 2000s to record 350 tour-level wins.
Zverev Advances to Fourth Madrid Final
Alexander Zverev overcame Alexander Blockx to reach the Madrid final for a fourth time. The world number three defeated the unseeded Belgian 6-2 7-5. Zverev, a winner in Madrid in 2018 and 2021, raced through the first set. He had to be patient in the second, breaking in the 11th game before serving out the match.
Despite his defeat, Blockx moves up 34 places to 35th in the ATP rankings. He had previously beaten three seeds ranked in the top 20 to reach his first Masters 1,000 semi-final.
Sinner and Zverev will now face off at a fifth consecutive Masters 1,000 event. Zverev lost in straight sets in four consecutive semi-final meetings.
If Sinner wins on Sunday, he would surpass Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal with a fifth consecutive Masters 1,000 title. Djokovic won four consecutive events on three occasions, and Nadal clinched four straight tournaments in 2013.