The tennis world wants more Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz matches. Instead, we’re just getting Sinner vs. Alexander Zverev over and over again.
Sinner and Zverev will face each other in the semifinals of a fourth consecutive Masters 1000 tournament when they collide at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Saturday. The Italian doubled up Zverev on the Sunshine Double, prevailing 6-2, 6-4 in Indian Wells and 6-3, 7-6(4) in Miami — which was preceded by a 6-0, 6-1 romp in Paris. This marks their 13th meeting overall, with Sinner leading the head-to-head series 8-4. Of course, it is hardly that competitive these days. The world No. 2 has won seven in a row since once trailing Zverev 4-1 back in the summer of 2023.
Can Zverev finally turn the tide back in his favor now that the tour has moved from hard courts to clay? Maybe not. Although the German’s results on the red stuff have been outstanding, the margins on clay are generally a lot larger than they are on fasters surfaces like indoor hard courts and grass. When one player has a significant edge from the baseline, it’s difficult for the opponent to change the game-plan or win free points on serve.
It’s Sinner, of course, who has that advantage from the baseline over Zverev — and over everyone else other than maybe Alcaraz. The 24-year-old is on an especially dominant roll right now, having just won the Sunshine Double without dropping a single set. Sinner has extended his Masters 1000 winning streak to 20 matches with Monte-Carlo victories over Tomas Machac, Ugo Humbert, and Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Zverev had to work hard to secure his fourth straight Masters 1000 semifinal appearance. The world No. 3 trailed Cristian Garin by a double-break in the third set before eventually triumphing 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. That was followed by a 6-2, 7-5 defeat of Zizou Bergs and 7-5, 6-7(3), 6-3 survival against Joao Fonseca on Friday.
As if Sinner isn’t already a big enough favorite, a two-hour and 40-minute struggle with no days off in between matches could put Zverev in an even bigger hole. Count on the second seed booking his spot in yet another Masters 1000 championship match.
Pick: Sinner in 2