Alexander Zverev responds when asked if his best chance of beating Jannik Sinner is on clay

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Alexander Zverev has a great opportunity to win his first ATP Masters 1000 title since 2024 at the Madrid Open.

With the withdrawals of Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic, only Jannik Sinner poses a great threat to Zverev in the Spanish capital.

The German got his Madrid campaign off to a shaky start, having been tested in his opening match with Mariano Navone.

Zverev dominated in the first set against the Argentine, but was forced to a decider after losing the second, before sealing the win, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

Seeded second at the event, the 29-year-old is on the opposite side of the draw to world number one Sinner, whom he commented on after the match.

Alexander Zverev discusses Jannik Sinner after win in Madrid

Asked in an interview with BB Tennis if he has a better chance of beating Sinner on clay, Zverev said: “Firstly, the match [against Navone] was unique.

“I played the first set perfectly and then lost my concentration a bit, but that happens. It’s the first round.

“It’s not like you have to play like you do in the final, so it happens sometimes. Jannik is still far away from me and he is also far away [from the final].

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“You need to get there first. If we play in the final in a week, I will be very happy. Another chance to play well with him.”

Alexander Zverev’s record against Jannik Sinner on clay

Zverev trails Sinner 9-4 in their ATP head-to-head, however the majority of their matches have been on hard court.

The two stars have played just three times on clay, with the first such meeting coming at Roland Garros in 2020.

Sinner came out on top in four sets that day to advance to the quarterfinals, but Zverev earned revenge in their next clay-court clash.

Two years later, in the quarterfinals of the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters, Zverev came back from a set down to beat Sinner, which saw him take a 3-1 lead in the head-to-head at the time.

Their most recent bout on clay came just two weeks ago in Monte-Carlo, and Sinner won comfortably in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, before going on to win the title.