Alexander Zverev ultimately fell well short of Madrid Open success after losing a one-sided final to Jannik Sinner.
Zverev competed for less than an hour against the ATP number one as he lost their clash 6-1, 6-2 in the Spanish capital.
The German was chasing a first title of 2026 and the 25th of his career, but instead Sinner claimed his fourth of the season and the 28th of his career.
Zverev certainly deserves praise for reaching the Madrid Open final, but it was not a performance that impressed former player Marion Bartoli.
What does Alexander Zverev have to do to change his results against Jannik Sinner?
Alexander Zverev shocks Marion Bartoli vs Jannik Sinner
Zverev apologised for his Madrid Open final display, with many fans having undoubtedly been very disappointed by the runner-up.
Bartoli said of Zverev on Sky Sports Tennis: “I was sitting court side and I could not believe what I was seeing.
“I felt Zverev was late almost on every rally.
“He had been sitting there in previous matches where he was on top of the ball and having half a second to decide where to go.
“Today was half a second late in preparation because the ball travelled that much faster and that much extra weight from Jannik Sinner.
“You could see from his body language he was 2cm away from it.
“It was just incredible the level that Sinner was able to produce on the court.”
When does Jannik Sinner next lose a tennis match? 👀
Jannik Sinner continues extraordinary head-to-head with Alexander Zverev
It was indeed a stunning performance from Sinner, but at the same time Zverev definitely underperformed on his side.
It could be a damaging defeat for the German, who won’t have much confidence for his next battle with the Italian if and when that arrives.
The top-class ATP pair have now met 14 times in their careers, with Sinner winning 10, including their last nine.
In their extraordinary head-to-head, Sinner won their first meeting in 2020 and lost their next four before his ruthless run that doesn’t look like ending anytime soon.
| Year | Winner | Tournament | Round | Surface | Score |
| 2026 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Madrid | Final | Outdoor Clay | 61 62 |
| 2026 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo | Semifinal | Outdoor Clay | 61 64 |
| 2026 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Miami | Semifinal | Outdoor Hard | 63 76(4) |
| 2026 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells | Semifinal | Outdoor Hard | 62 64 |
| 2025 | Jannik Sinner | Nitto ATP Finals | Round Robin | Indoor Hard | 64 63 |
| 2025 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Paris | Semifinal | Indoor Hard | 60 61 |
| 2025 | Jannik Sinner | Vienna | Final | Indoor Hard | 36 63 75 |
| 2025 | Jannik Sinner | Australian Open | Final | Outdoor Hard | 63 76(4) 63 |
| 2024 | Jannik Sinner | ATP Masters 1000 Cincinnati | Semifinal | Outdoor Hard | 76(9) 57 76(4) |
| 2023 | Alexander Zverev | US Open | Round of 16 | Outdoor Hard | 64 36 62 46 63 |
| 2022 | Alexander Zverev | ATP Masters 1000 Monte-Carlo | Quarterfinal | Outdoor Clay | 57 63 76(5) |
| 2021 | Alexander Zverev | US Open | Round of 16 | Outdoor Hard | 64 64 76(7) |
| 2020 | Alexander Zverev | Cologne 2 | Semifinal | Indoor Hard | 76(3) 63 |
| 2020 | Jannik Sinner | Roland Garros | Round of 16 | Outdoor Clay | 63 63 46 63 |
But also falling victim to the formidable Italian at the Madrid Open were Benjamin Bonzi, Elmer Moller, Cameron Norrie, Rafael Jodar and Arthur Fils.
Meanwhile Zverev, who will be completely sick of the sight of Sinner, knocked out Mariano Navone, Terence Atmane, Jakub Mensik, Flavio Cobolli and Alexander Blockx.
