Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev’s rivalry has a complex history, and they will face each other once again in the 2025 Australian Open final on Sunday (January 26). Defending champion Sinner, at 23 years old, is aiming for his second consecutive Australian Open title after defeating Ben Shelton in straight sets in the semifinals. Meanwhile, 27-year-old Zverev reached the final after Novak Djokovic retired from their semifinal match due to injury. This sets up a Grand Slam final showdown between the two, with Zverev seeking his first major title.
Their relationship has been rocky at times, starting with a heated exchange following their clash at the 2020 French Open, where Sinner defeated Zverev in the fourth round. Zverev, after the match, claimed to have been unwell, which Sinner criticized, accusing him of making excuses. Sinner remarked, “I respect him… but I do not respect his statements after his defeat to me at Roland Garros. Federer or Nadal would never have said such things.”
Zverev has had his own perspective on their rivalry. In an interview, he spoke about the challenges of playing against Sinner and fellow rising star Carlos Alcaraz, acknowledging that to beat players like them, he needed to trust his game and go for his shots during critical moments.
Their rivalry took a more controversial turn in 2023 during their US Open match when Zverev accused a fan of singing “the anthem of Hitler,” prompting security to remove the fan from the stadium. This incident added further tension to their encounters, though it did not directly involve Sinner.
Despite these incidents, there have been lighter moments between the two. At the ATP Finals, Sinner won an award for the best hair on the ATP Tour, which Zverev playfully disputed during an interview, leading to a light-hearted exchange between the rivals.
Today, mutual respect seems to define their relationship. Zverev has expressed admiration for Sinner’s achievements, saying, “In terms of tennis, he absolutely deserves to be number one in the world.” Similarly, Sinner acknowledged the difficulty of facing Zverev in a final, recognizing his opponent’s talent and the high stakes of the match.
As they prepare to meet in the Australian Open final, both players will be looking to assert their dominance, with Sinner aiming to defend his title and Zverev seeking his elusive first Grand Slam victory.
