“People have forgotten that, when I’m healthy and fit, I still know how to play tennis” Alexander Zverev believes he could have defeated Jannik Sinner in Vienna

Alexander Zverev fell to world number two Jannik Sinner in the finals of the Vienna Open on Sunday. The German won the first set, however, the Italian came back to win the match in three sets. It was a hard fought battle which lasted close to two and a half hours.

Alexander Zverev took a jibe at his critics, stating that when he is at best physically, he can still play good tennis. He believes that the Vienna Open final could have gone either way, and he played some of his best tennis in the final. The Vienna Open final was among the most entertaining ATP Finals of the year, with Sinner earning a break right towards the end of the final set.

“I think some people have forgotten that, when I’m healthy and fit, I still know how to play tennis. It was a great match, very balanced and high-level on both sides. I looked at the stats: it was probably one of the best of the year. In the end, I was maybe a bit unlucky; it could have gone either way. Sinner won, serving impressively, but if we look at the last few months and how I played this week, it’s still a step forward,” said Zverev.

Alexander Zverev speaks on his rivalry with Jannik Sinner

Alexander Zverev stated that him and Jannik Sinner are not players who prefer playing with extreme variations, but with groundstrokes and speed. He stated that the Italian played slightly better in the third set in the Vienna Open finals. The German also praise Jannik Sinner for having a terrific season, reaching all four Grand Slam finals, and winning two.

“I think some people have forgotten that, when I’m healthy and fit, I still know how to play tennis. It was a great match, very balanced and high-level on both sides. I looked at the stats: it was probably one of the best of the year. In the end, I was maybe a bit unlucky; it could have gone either way. Sinner won, serving impressively, but if we look at the last few months and how I played this week, it’s still a step forward,” said Zverev.

Both, Zverev and Sinner quickly travelled to Paris for the final Masters event of the year. Both players received byes in the first round, with Zverev facing Ugo Carabelli Camilo in the second round, and Sinner facing Zizou Bergs. Jannik Sinner could momentarily reclaim his world number one ranking if he claims the Paris Masters title, before the Nitto ATP Finals points are added.