ATP Finals Day Four: The Ultimate Test for Alexander Zverev
The fourth day of the ATP Tour Finals 2025 presents a fascinating narrative of resilience and rivalry. The evening's headline match pits the formidable Jannik Sinner against Alexander Zverev, a contest loaded with psychological baggage from their previous grand slam encounter.
A Pattern of Challengers Falling Short
The tournament has so far followed a familiar script. Challengers have risen to threaten the dominance of the tour's elite, only to fall short. In the opening round, Felix Auger-Aliassime pushed Jannik Sinner to his limits before an injury halted his progress. Similarly, on day three, Taylor Fritz outperformed Carlos Alcaraz for large portions of their two-set match. Despite these spirited efforts, the same result prevailed: both Sinner and Alcaraz secured victories, ultimately with a degree of comfort.
Zverev: A Different Calibre of Opponent?
Alexander Zverev, however, represents a different tier of challenge. He is the player without a grand slam title who has come agonisingly close to claiming one. For years, his eventual triumph seemed an inevitability. That belief was profoundly shaken at the Australian Open final earlier this year, where Sinner dismantled him with surgical and merciless precision. The defeat appeared to damage Zverev's confidence, leaving him to grapple with the aftermath.
But a resurgence may be underway. On Sunday night, Zverev delivered a strong performance to defeat Ben Shelton. His celebratory fervour suggested a player potentially exorcising past demons. His weapons—a colossal serve and one of the game's best backhands—remain intact. While his backhand and net-play will be severely tested against Sinner, this marks the first time since Melbourne that Zverev might genuinely believe in his chances.
The match begins at 8.30pm GMT (7.30pm local time).
