Alexander Zverev regains the throne of Rome | ATP Tour

Roma

Zverev regains the throne of Rome

The German wins his sixth Masters 1000 title

May 19, 2024

Alexander Zverev has returned to fight for everything. The German lifted the sixth ATP Masters 1000 trophy of his career this Sunday by winning the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, making one of the most desired thrones in the locker room his own. With a monumental performance in the Eternal City, Sascha once again conquers an ATP Tour gold category tournament more than three years later, confirming his reintegration into the front line of the circuit.

The No. 5 in the PIF ATP Rankings ruled a fast-paced final, defeating Chilean Nicolás Jarry 6-4, 7-5 after one hour and 43 minutes of play. In a duel of power to power, with two tennis players dedicated to the attack on each point, the player from Hamburg found enough coolness to achieve victory by a minimal margin. A heart-stopping outcome made Zverev roll up his sleeves to take the final step, needing four match points to win the trophy.

“Obviously, after winning my first [Masters] in Rome and also the first after the injury, Rome is a very special place for me,” Zverev acknowledged. “It is a very, very special week.”

With the imposing Campo Centrale as a backdrop, Zverev showed his confidence to attack big matches. The German secured 95% (37/39) of the points played with his first serve, preventing Jarry from generating a single break ball in the entire match. His ability to subtract solidly ended up burying the Chilean’s options, whom he already dominates 5-2 in the Lexus ATP Head2Head history.

“He’s playing at a high level and you can see it by the players he’s beaten here this week,” Zverev said when asked about Jarry. “He is playing incredible tennis. I have told him that, if he continues to play like this, he will have many opportunities at this level. I feel really happy to have won today.”

Zverev had to do his best to contain the enormous power of Jarry, who he cornered on his backhand flank insistently. The German, who only made eight unforced errors in a dizzying match, knew how to absorb the force of the South American’s serve and forehand, who was barely able to scratch a sleeve break before certifying his victory.

The German has shown incredible determination over the last two weeks at the Foro Italico, where he has climbed to the cup, losing only one round in the entire tournament. The third seed also won the trophy in the 2017 season, dominating the Italian clay at just 20 years old.

Zverev will rise to No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings this Monday thanks to the title in Rome, the biggest achievement since he suffered a serious ankle injury during the semifinals of Roland Garros in 2022. The German, who has reached the penultimate round in his last three visits to Paris, he will go to the French capital in search of his first Grand Slam crown.

Jarry played the first ATP Masters 1000 final of his career, after having beaten seeds such as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul. The Chilean, who rises to No. 17 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, was the first Chilean to reach a final in this category since Fernando González in 2007.

Did you know…?
Alexander Zverev has become the third active player with multiple Internazionali BNL d’Italia singles crowns. The German, champion in 2017 and 2024 on the clay of the Foro Italico, follows in the footsteps of the Spanish Rafael Nadal (10-time champion) and the Serbian Novak Djokovic (6).