Alexander Zverev dismissed judgments based on the scoreline of his match against Jannik Sinner, which ended his chances of booking a spot in the ATP Finals semifinals. The German was playing his second group stage match and was trounced by the World No. 1 in straight sets.
Zverev was placed in the Björn Borg Group at the ATP Finals, alongside Jannik Sinner, Ben Shelton, and Félix Auger-Aliassime. He started strong by defeating his younger counterpart, Shelton, in straight sets in his first group-stage match before facing the Italian in the second.
Coming into the match with a 5-4 head-to-head advantage in favor of Sinner, Zverev faced a player who was both the defending champion and a heavy favorite in Turin. Unfortunately for the German, he lost the bout in straight sets, ending his chances of securing a semifinal spot as the Italian advanced to the final four.
In a post-match press conference, the World No. 3 rejected the ‘unplayable’ label often attributed to Sinner, explaining that the latter simply capitalized on his opportunities better. “It’s not unplayable. I had many opportunities. He had one, he used the chance. This is why he’s No. 1 in the world, you know? He uses the chances that he gets,” Zverev said.
He also urged the media not to judge his gameplay solely by the scoreline, as it didn’t fully reflect how close the match truly was. “I think it’s quite easy for you guys to ask these questions because the score says 6-4, 6-3. If you look deeper into the match, I really believe that it could have been more than 6-4, 6-3, so… Don’t always judge it by the score.”
Looking ahead, Zverev will face his final group opponent, Félix Auger-Aliassime, from the Björn Borg Group, in a match scheduled for November 15, 2025.
—
### Alexander Zverev’s Thoughts on Facing Top-Ranked Opponents
Alexander Zverev has never shied away from voicing his opinions in public and has often faced backlash for doing so. He has previously criticized tournament directors for standardizing court surfaces to favor the top two players.
At the ATP Finals, although he acknowledged that Sinner had an advantage on the playing surface, Zverev revealed that he had hoped to avoid facing either World No. 1 Jannik Sinner or World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz at the year-end Championships. His reason was simple: to increase his chances of advancing to the semifinals.
“I was actually hoping both of them would be in the same group so that we could play in different ones, but it is what it is,” he admitted.
—
### Career Highlights
Alexander Zverev has had a remarkable career so far, having won the singles gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Additionally, he has reached three Grand Slam finals, cementing his status as one of the top players in men’s tennis.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/tennis/news-don-t-always-judge-score-alexander-zverev-rejects-unplayable-label-jannik-sinner-gets-real-atp-finals-loss
