Zverev Unblockxed, but Next Breakthrough will be Tougher as Sinner Looms in Madrid Final

Alexander Zverev made a breakthrough in Madrid on Friday, defeating Belgium’s Alexander Blockx 6-2, 7-5, and snapped a six-match losing streak in semifinals to reach the title round in Madrid. 

A gratifying victory no doubt, but the two-time Madrid champion knows that the real breakthrough is a taller mountain to climb, as World No.1 Jannik Sinner waits for him in the final. Sinner has claimed victory the last eight times that he has faced Zverev, including semifinals at Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo this year. 

“I’m looking forward to playing Jannik again, I hope it will be a tough match and the better player will win on Sunday,” Zverev said after dispatching Blockx to become the third player to reach four Madrid finals, along with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Asked if Sinner will have extra pressure, going for his fifth consecutive Masters title.

“I think tennis is very easy for him right now, the way he’s playing,” Zverev said. “Maybe on Sunday I’ll manage to make a little bit more difficult for him… he’s the best player in the world for sure, I’m just gonna try to give him a tough battle.”

They will meet for the 14th time in Sunday’s Madrid final with the German hoping to reassert himself in rivalry that has been anything but of late. Zverev won four of his first five matches against Sinner, but as the Italian has blossomed into a world-beating stalwart over the last three years, he has taken control of the pair’s head-to-head, winning their last 12 sets in an eight-match streak that has been running since the start of 2024. 

Working in the German’s favor is the fact that Zverev finds himself in scintillating form. He was dominant against the unseeded 21-year-old on Friday. 

He used his experience and his consistency to dominate the opener against 69th-ranked Blockx, who had never won a clay-court match at ATP level prior to this season (he now has nine and is up to No. 35 in the ATP live rankings), winning all nine of the points that lasted nine or more strokes in the first set and breaking twice from six opportunities to lead 6-2.

Blockx did his best to hold Zverev off. He saved a pair of break points while serving at 4-4 in the second set, which took his total for the match to 11 break points saved out of 13 in the match (7 of 7 in the set), and 31 of 36 overall in the tournament. 

His fourth ace of the match locked up the hold and brought a big roar from the crowd. 

The fourteenth break point of the match – and eighth of the set – was the charm. Zverev rallied back from 40-0 down in the game, and finished the critical break with a forehand that clipped the tape and dribbled over for a winner. 

He served out the contest comfortably, reaching his 41st career final and 13th at the ATP Masters level. 

The German reached his seventh Masters 1000 final on clay, and his fourth in Madrid, as he moved into a tie with Novak Djokovic for third-most wins all-time at the Madrid Open (30-6). 

Zverev won 15 of 16 rallies lasting more than nine shots and won 17 of 21 points at net – a stellar all-court performance that also featured 17 forehand winners.