Alexander Zverev posts message to Jannik Sinner on social media after losing to him in Madrid

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Alexander Zverev was the nearly man once again at the Madrid Open as he lost the final to Jannik Sinner.

Zverev must turn his focus to the Italian Open, but his confidence will have been dealt a blow after his heavy loss in Spain.

Sinner defeated Zverev 6-1, 6-2 in just 57 minutes in the Madrid Open final, thus securing his fifth successive ATP Masters 1000 title.

The German has retained his world number three ranking following the tournament, after which he sent a message to his ATP rival Sinner.

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Alexander Zverev congratulates Jannik Sinner after losing to him in Madrid

Sharing images of his time in Madrid, including showering the champion with champagne during the trophy ceremony, Zverev wrote on Instagram: “Trying to cool off Jannik Sinner hasn’t been easy.

“Congratulations on a historic 5th Masters in a row.

“Not the final I was hoping of playing but we move on.

“Thank you, Madrid and see you next year.”

It was a brief but honest assessment from the German, who had admirably remained upbeat despite the nightmare showing.

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Marion Bartoli congratulates ‘exceptional’ Jannik Sinner

Zverev does indeed move on to Rome, where again he is the second seed and home favorite Sinner is the first.

The German will meet the winner of Zhang Zhizhen and Daniel Altmaier in round two, with the Italian set to face either Sebastian Ofner or Alex Michelsen.

Remarkably, the world number one could now win a sixth successive ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome, which would see him triumph in all nine such events.

But appreciating his latest efforts, former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli wrote on X: “5 Masters 1000 in a row.

“Exceptional consistency, an impressive level of play that already defines this generation. “Congratulations, champion.”

It’s an extraordinary run from Sinner, who also lifted the trophies in Paris, Miami, Indian Wells and Monte Carlo.

He’ll certainly like his chances of another title in Italy, particularly given the support he’ll receive from the fans and more importantly the absence of Carlos Alcaraz.

Alcaraz remains sidelined with a wrist injury, which puts real pressure on the likes of Zverev and the returning Novak Djokovic to bring Sinner’s run to an end.