Jannik Sinner extends Alexander Zverev’s dominance, reaches Miami final | ATP Tour
match report
Sinner continues Zverev’s dominance, reaches Miami final
The world No. 2 will face Lehka in Sunday’s championship match
March 28, 2026
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
Jannik Sinner reached the finals in Miami.
Written by ATP Staff
Jannik Sinner is on the verge of capturing ATP Masters 1000 glory in Miami.
The PIF ATP No. 2 player, who just won his first Indian Wells trophy, is now a victory away from the ETA crowd at the Miami Open after defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4) on Friday night. Sinner extended his record to 32 consecutive set wins at ATP Masters 1000 events.
“Coming out here and trying to play some good tennis, that was my main goal,” Sinner said after playing his fourth championship match in Miami. “It means a lot to me to be here again in the finals.”
The second seed is now one win away from becoming the first player since Roger Federer in 2017 to complete the Sunshine Double – lifting the trophy in Indian Wells and Miami – and will face Jiri Lehecka in Sunday’s title showdown. Previously, Lehka defeated Arthur Fels 6-2, 6-2 and reached the Masters 1000m final for the first time.
Sinner has won his past seven meetings with Zverev, including twice this year, after the 24-year-old also defeated the German in the BNP Paribas Open semi-finals earlier this month. The Italian now leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head series 8-4.
“Today was a tough encounter,” Sinner said. “He played some incredible tennis, so I served really well at the end, especially in the crucial moments. I’m happy, it means a lot to me.”
Sinner had to save a break point in the third game of the first set. But he responded immediately, stepped up his attack, and took advantage of Zverev’s brief drop in first-serve efficiency to win the break with a strong forehand winner and take a 3-1 lead.
In the second set, Zverev increased his intensity and maintained his position at critical moments, especially when he broke two break points with a score of 4-4, 15/40. Yet Sinner remained calm, consistently holding serve and forcing a tiebreak. There, Sinner moved into a 5/4 lead when Zverev hit an error, ultimately giving the Italian the advantage.
Sinner’s service solidified his control throughout. He won 79% of his first serves (45/57) and hit 15 aces to Zverev’s five. The Italian also showed resilience under pressure, saving two break points he faced while converting one of his four break opportunities.
Sinner will take a 3-0 lead into Sunday’s final against Lehka, having won their most recent match in straight sets at Roland Garros last year. Since Sinner has not defended any PIF ATP ranking points this year, he is within 1,540 points of world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz.
Zverev is aiming to reach the Miami Championship for the first time since 2018. The 28-year-old will move past Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals in South Florida to return to third place in next week’s PIF ATP rankings.
