Sinner, symphony in the desert of Indian Wells: crushes Zverev and reaches the final for the first time

Powerful, fast, relentless. Jannik Sinner returns as the “hammer” of the times when he was ranked number one in the world and reaches his first career final at Indian Wells. The one to suffer is Alexander Zverev, number 4 in the rankings, who has already been defeated by the Italian in the last five head-to-head matches.

After a balanced start, the world number 2 hits the gas with a series of breaks, pinpoint returns, and explosive forehands, wrapping up the match with a decisive 6-2, 6-4 in 83 minutes.

It starts with tight ranks under a scorching sun, with Zverev immediately relying on his best weapon: the serve. The German, initially solid on serve, does not allow rallies and secures the first game to love. Sinner responds with a game to 15: the movements of the South Tyrolean seem fluid, despite a slight discomfort in the lower back experienced during warm-up. They quickly move to 2-2, when the Italian makes the first acceleration and scores the break at 3-2.

The heat causes the ball to bounce high, complicating life for the returner: in the first four games, there are only two extended rallies. With a cross-court backhand into the net, the 28-year-old from Hamburg concedes the first point of the match on his serve: it is the first game truly played shot for shot, also because Zverev's first serve is less effective. A second backhand error, this time long, gives Sinner the break point that the world number 2 does not let slip away. From there, the champion from Sesto Pusteria takes control of the court, hammering with his forehand, breaks serve again, and flies to 5-2 before serving for the set.

He earns three consecutive set points: on the first, he commits a double fault, on the second, he misses with a backhand, but on the third, it is Zverev's wide down-the-line backhand that goes long. With the fifth consecutive game, Sinner seals the 6-2 and takes the lead 1-0.

The second set opens with the Italian still incisive and a Zverev struggling to hold onto his service games, while Sinner is impeccable when it is his turn. They reach 3-3; just when the German seems to show signs of awakening, he concedes another break and the Italian goes up 4-3. The world number 2 confidently confirms the lead for 5-3, offering no openings. Zverev shortens the gap to 5-4, but Sinner, flawless on serve at the crucial moment, closes 6-4 and secures his first final in the California desert.

Now the wait is for the name of the opponent, between Alcaraz and Medvedev, for a final act that already promises a show. For the blue player, there is also the opportunity to lift the trophy in Indian Wells and become the third player, after Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, capable of winning all six ATP Masters 1000 tournaments on hard court.

On this surface, Sinner signed his first Masters 1000 in Canada in 2023; he then triumphed twice at the Australian Open (2024 and 2025) and twice at the Nitto ATP Finals (2024 and 2025), in addition to winning, in 2024, in Miami and Cincinnati. Indian Wells remains the only “Big Title” on hard court that is still missing from his trophy cabinet.