Sinner Is A Winner In Vienna, Claims Second Title In Three Years

Jannik Sinner, Erste Bank Open, Vienna
Jannik Sinner (photo: e-motion/Bildagentur Zolles KG/Christian Hofer)

VIENNA/WASHINGTON, October 26, 2025 (by Michael Dickens)

As No. 1 seed and 2023 Erste Bank Open champion Jannik Sinner faced No. 2 seed and 2021 champion Alexander Zverev in this year’s brilliant championship match Sunday afternoon, in front of a capacity crowd of 9,600 fans that filled Wiener Stadthalle to the rafters, it marked the third time that former champions had met in Vienna.

Long before either Sinner or Zverev were born, 1978 Vienna champion Stan Smith and 1976 titlist Wojtek Fibak met in the 1979 in the final that was won by the American, and more recently, in 2016, Andy Murray (2014 champion) took on Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (2011 titlist) and the British great won.

This year’s winner, Sinner, who rallied to beat Zverev, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, in two hours and 28 minutes, became just the ninth man – and only active player – to win multiple titles in the 51-year history of the ATP 500 indoor hardcourt event held in the Austrian capital city.

“It feels amazing,” said Sinner, during his post-match interview with ATP Media before the trophy ceremony. “It was such a difficult start in this final for me. I went a break down, had some chances in the first set but couldn’t use them. He was serving very well, but I just tried to stick there mentally and play my best tennis when it came.”

Sinner brought a 20-match winning streak on indoor hard courts into this year’s final, attempting to win his 21st tour-level title and to become just the third man to win three hard-court titles this season after victories at the Australian Open and Beijing – joining Carlos Alcaraz (4) and Felix Auger-Aliassime (3). A man on a mission, he got the job done for his 48th triumph of 2025 in 54 outings – but he was pushed by Zverev, who brought a 51-21 win-loss record into the final and was looking to add a crown to go with his Munich title from earlier this season.

Although Zverev came into the championship match leading his career head-to-head against Sinner, 4-3, the Italian No. 1 had won the past two meetings – including this year’s Australian Open final. Now, after winning his second Vienna title, Sinner has leveled their career head-to-head at 4-all and beaten the German No. 1 three straight times.

Sunday’s title match began with a pair of holds, as each player won their initial service games by delivering solidly-hit service aces. However, Zverev pressured Sinner from both wings and rallied from a 40-0 deficit to break the Italian No. 1 for a 3-1 lead. Zverev consolidated the break but not before saving a couple of break points during the 10-point exchange for a 4-1 advantage, a scoreline few predicted. 

Soon, Zverev closed in on winning the first set when he went ahead 5-2 with an inside-out, third-shot forehand winner that Sinner was unable to lay a racquet on. Although the South Tyrolean came alive in his next service game and held at love with a backhand winner that froze Zverev, the German closed out the 46-minute opening set 6-3 with a third-shot backhand winner. It was his 11th winner of the set, which offset 10 unforced errors. He outpointed Sinner 33-30.

As the match reached the hour mark, Sinner won an epic 22-shot rally with a backhand lob passing shot that stunned Zverev, who was drawn into the net earlier by a drop shot from the World No. 2. It gave Sinner a break and 2-0 lead in the second set. He backed it up with a clean hold for a 3-0 advantage, and soon extended it to 4-1 with an 11th-shot backhand winner, mixing power with finesse. Another strong hold by Sinner extended his lead to 5-2, and he closed out the middle set 6-3 with a blistering forehand winner and a solid ace. 

Sinner leveled the title match as it hit the 90-minute plateau with a clean set of tennis that featured 14 winners – nine of them from his forehand – and outpointed Zverev 31-23. He faced no break points from the World No. 3. The big question to ponder: Could Sinner sustain this level to pull out the title victory?

As the deciding set unfolded, both players stepped up to the pressure of the moment with comfortable holds. Then, after Zverev recovered from 15-30 down to hold, Sinner responded with a dazzling drop-shot winner and held for 2-all. Soon, Sinner gained a pair of break points at 15-40 in the fifth game. Zverev saved the first with a solid forehand winner that was hit on the rise, and the second one, too, after Sinner struck a forehand long that ended a tense but exciting 22-shot rally. At the two-hour mark, Zverev held serve for a 3-2 lead after striking his 10th ace, but Sinner also maintained his serve with his seventh ace and it was 3-all. 

Following a pair of service holds, Zverev maintained his resolve in holding serve for a 5-4 lead. But could he break Sinner once more to win the match, or would it continue a little longer? Not this time, despite Sinner favoring his left hamstring. Instead, the 24-year-old Italian hit back-to-back aces – his 10th and 11th – and the final was dead even at 5-all.

Next, Sinner gained a deuce point on a lucky net cord that went in his favor. Then, he hit a down-the-line backhand winner to gain an important break-point opportunity. Finally, Sinner broke through after Zverev sent a 17th-shot backhand beyond the baseline and gained the lead 6-5. The match was on his racquet. 

Serving for his fourth title of the year – and 22nd of his career – Sinner didn’t throw away his shot. He stepped up to the baseline and delivered, winning at love to capture the final set 7-5. With it, Sinner won his fourth ATP Tour title of the season, his second Vienna title and it was his 10th straight victory at the Erste Bank Open.

“The third set was a bit of a rollercoaster, but I was feeling the ball very well at times, so I tried to push and I’m very happy of course to win another title,” Sinner said after beating the 28-year-old Zverev for the second time in a title match this season. “It’s very special.”

Sinner finished the Vienna final with an impressive 46 winners – including 11 aces – and won 82 percent (47 of 57) of his first-serve points. He made 21 unforced errors, saved three of four break points and broke Zverev twice in eight tries. He outpointed his opponent 99-87. Zverev countered with 11 aces and 28 total winners while committing 34 unforced errors He won 71 percent (55 of 77) of his first-serve points.

Now, it’s on to the Rolex Paris Masters – the final regular-season tune-up for both Sinner and Zverev – before the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, which starts in two weeks.

Cash and Glasspool win seventh doubles title of season

No. 2 seeds Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool of Great British won their seventh ATP Tour doubles title of the season – and eighth overall as a team – with their 6-1, 7-6 (6) victory over unseeded Francisco Cabral of Portugal and Lucas Miedler of Austria in one hour and 10 minutes on Center Court. 

Cash, 28, and Glasspool, 31, who are ranked No. 1 in the PIF ATP Doubles Team Rankings and have already qualified for the Nitto ATP Finals in Turin, became just the second all-British team to lift the Vienna trophy after Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski in 2018. 

After rallying from a set down in the semifinal round to advance to the title match, Cash and Glasspool came out strong. Quickly, they gained a double-break 4-0 lead against Cabral and local favorite Miedler, who twice won the Vienna title (2022, 2024) with former Austrian partner Alexander Erler. Then, in the second set tie-break, Cash and Glasspool put away the title victory on their second match-point opportunity.

Cash and Glasspool, who improved 62-19 lifetime and 55-14 this season, teamed to hit nine aces and won 83 percent (35 of 42) of their first-serve points. They faced no break points and converted both of their break-point opportunities. Cash and Glasspool outpointed Cabral and Miedler 60-51.

“We knew it was never going to be easy. I actually watched Erler/Miedler play the final here last year, so I knew what the stadium was going to be like,” Cash said during trophy ceremony. “We had a lot of fun out there, really great to play in an atmosphere and great to get across the line.”

Glasspool, who with Cash put together a 22-match winning streak earlier this season, added: “We had a really hot season, then injuries here and there, so it’s great to keep the winning going throughout the year, showing why we are the top team in the world.”

The winners earned 500 ATP ranking points and will split 168,120 euros in prize money.

By the numbers

Jannik Sinner became just the ninth man – and only active player – to win multiple titles in Vienna tournament history.

“Quotable …”

“It was very difficult of course. The most important thing was to not give up and try to stay there. Try to see what the situation was. I just tried to make the right choices at the right time. I think that was the key today. Serving well and saving energy in my service games was important too.”

– Vienna champion Jannik Sinner, during his post-match interview with ATP Media, describing his physical struggle in the final set.

 

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