Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev will be playing for the 11th time in their careers when they fight for a place in the final of the BNP Paribas Open on Saturday.
The Sinners held a 6-4 advantage in what was otherwise a head-to-head series. Zverev won four of the first five matches, but has not won since their five-set run to the fourth round of the 2023 US Open. It’s no surprise, either, since Sinner became his current version in the fall of that year. The Italian defeated Zverev five times from the 2024 Cincinnati Masters to the 2025 Nitto ATP Finals, winning three of those victories in straight sets – including the last two.
That doesn’t mean Zverev can be completely discounted. The fourth-ranked German is 11-3 this season and came within one match of the Australian Open final before losing to Carlos Alcaraz. Zverev lost early in Acapulco to Miomir Kecmanovic, but has bounced back at the Indian Wells Masters with wins over Matteo Berrettini, Brandon Nakashima, Frances Tiafoe, and Arthur Fils – the latter two in straight sets against in-form opponents.
Speaking of releasing hits, Sinner had no problem with Student Tien on Thursday afternoon. The world number 2 blanked the 20-year-old American 6-1, 6-2 in one hour and six minutes. That was preceded by victories for Dalibor Svrcina, Denis Shapovalov, and Joao Fonseca. It’s hard to see Zverev playing again – and certainly not as aggressively – as Fonseca did on Tuesday night and Sinner still won that match in straight sets (two tiebreakers).
While this is Zverev’s first Indian Wells semifinal appearance, Sinner is making his third consecutive trip to the last four at Tennis Paradise (not including his absence in 2025). The 24-year-old is playing well and should be able to maintain his recent strength in the game.
Choose: Sinner in 2
