Italian top seed Jannik Sinner staged a spirited comeback to beat Germany’s Alexander Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the Vienna Open final on Sunday to secure his fourth ATP Tour title of the season and second triumph in the Austrian capital.
Sinner, who beat Zverev in straight sets at this year’s Australian Open, has now won 21 straight matches on indoor hard courts. The 24-year-old also now has 22 tour titles and 51 career wins against other top-10 players.
The world number two hit 11 aces and unleashed 44 winners in a thrilling match that lasted two hours and 28 minutes.
“It’s an amazing feeling,” Sinner said. “It was such a tough start for me in the final. To the break… I had some chances in the first set, I couldn’t take them. He was serving very well.
“I tried to hang in there mentally. I tried to play my best tennis when it counted. The third set was a bit of a roller coaster. I felt the ball very well. I tried to push.”
“Very happy to win another title. It’s very special.”
The victory also allowed the four-time Grand Slam champion to equal his head-to-head record against Zverev at four wins apiece.
“I would like to congratulate Jannik, whose level has been off the charts in the last two years,” Zverev said. “You are currently the best player in the world for me.
“What an amazing year. Four Grand Slam finals and two Grand Slam titles. Obviously the best player here in Vienna this week…”
World number three Zverev saved a break point to hold the opening game before breaking Sinner to lead 3-1 in the first set. Zverev won the set 6-3, hitting four aces while Sinner had two as the 28-year-old German dominated the rally.
Sinner fought back in the second set, outwitting Zverev with a cross-court shot to claim his first break and go 2-0 up.
The Italian was in better control of the serves, leaving his opponent chasing sideline forehands as Zverev won just two points in the last two games the Italian served en route to securing the set 6-3.
The deciding set was a thrilling battle, with both players trading shots and the score tied at 4-4. Sinner appeared to be struggling with left hamstring spasms during the seventh game of the set, but refused to back down.
Zverev briefly looked set to grab the win after taking a 5-4 lead, but Sinner dug deep to level the match before forging a crucial break at 6-5. Sinner then held his nerve to serve the match and secured his second title in Vienna.
“Yeah, of course it was very difficult,” Sinner said.
“The most important thing is try not to give up. Try to hang in there. Try to figure out what the situation is. I just tried to make the right decisions at the right time. I think that was the key today.”
“Serving well, saving energy in my service games was also important. It was a very good performance from me, but I feel like it was from both sides.”
– The end
Issued by:
sabyasachi chowdhury
Published on:
October 27, 2025
