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German defeats Jarry
May 19, 2024
Extended Highlights: Zverev reigns in Rome 2024
Watch Alexander Zverev clinch his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title on Sunday in Rome. Watch live & on-demand at tennistv.com.

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Alexander Zverev wins his 22nd tour-level title on Sunday in Rome.
By ATP Staff
Alexander Zverev is an ATP Masters 1000 champion for the sixth time.

The German moved past first-time Masters 1000 finalist Nicolas Jarry 6-4, 7-5 on Sunday at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia to win the title in Rome for a second time.

Zverev will climb to No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday, with his Rome title the biggest he has earned since he suffered a catastrophic ankle injury in the Roland Garros semi-finals in 2022. Prior to Sunday, the 27-year-old’s most recent Masters 1000 triumph came in Cincinnati in 2021, while he also lifted the Nitto ATP Finals trophy in the same season.

"Obviously winning my first ever [Masters] here in Rome and winning my first after my injury also in Rome, so Rome is a very special place for me," Zverev said. "It is a very, very special week."

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Zverev showed great athleticism to soak up Jarry's big hitting during the one-hour, 41-minute minute clash and he took large cuts off both wings to take time away from the Chilean, who was unable to find the required consistency in crucial moments.

"He is playing huge and you can see by the players he has beaten here this week," Zverev said when asked about Jarry. "Playing incredible tennis. I told him if he continues to play like that he will have many chances at this level. Today I am extremely happy to be the winner."

The 22-time tour-level champion was impressive throughout his run in the Italian capital, where he dropped just one set. The third seed also lifted the trophy at the clay-court event in 2017 when he was just 20 years old.

Competing in his 11th Masters 1000 final and first since Madrid in 2022, Zverev won 95 per cent (37/39) of his first-serve points according to Infosys ATP Stats. He returned with depth and consistency to foil the Chilean’s big serve, improving to 5-2 in the pair’s Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

Zverev, who committed just eight unforced errors, squandered two match points on Jarry's serve at 5-4, before he eventually sealed victory on his fourth match point.

Jarry was competing in his first Masters 1000 title match, having defeated seeds Stefanos Tsitsipas and Tommy Paul en route. The 28-year-old, who is up to No. 17 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings, was the first Chilean to reach a final at this level since Fernando Gonzalez in Rome in 2007.

The 21st seed has won tour-level titles at ATP 250 events in Bastad (2019), Santiago (2023) and Geneva (2023).

German lifts his first ATP Masters 1000 trophy since 2021 in Rome
May 19, 2024
Alexander Zverev celebrates on Sunday after winning his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Alexander Zverev celebrates on Sunday after winning his sixth ATP Masters 1000 title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
By ATP Staff
Even before Sunday afternoon, the Internazionali BNL d'Italia had played a special role in Alexander Zverev’s career.

The German lifted his maiden ATP Masters 1000 title on the Rome clay in 2017, when he was just 20 years old. Having had to since work his way back from a serious ankle injury sustained in 2022 at Roland Garros, Zverev was delighted to come full circle by lifting his second trophy in the Italian capital by beating Nicolas Jarry in straight sets on Sunday afternoon.

“[It is] very different because obviously the first one is extremely special always,” said Zverev, when asked in his post-match press conference how he would compare his two Rome triumphs. “But in a way, when I was young, I was extremely confident. I was thinking, ‘Okay, it's going to come at some point’. After the injury, I was not sure whether it's going to come or not.

“This one is special in its own way because it proves to me that I can win these kinds of tournaments again. I'm at the level where I want to be. Moving forward, I can dream again. This is what this week brings me.”


Zverev deployed his booming serve to great effect to triumph against Jarry. He won 95 per cent (37/39) of his first-serve points, according to Infosys ATP Stats, and he was also rock-solid in all other facets of his game as he improved to 5-2 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with the Chilean.

“Obviously I've been playing well all week, from the first point of the first round until now,” said Zverev, who dropped just one set en route to the trophy. “Obviously I’m extremely happy with how things went. I struggled a little bit in the semi-finals but got my way out of it.

“Today was a great performance. I think Nico has been somebody that has been playing extremely well. The way that he beat the opponents, what kind of opponents he beat as well, shows that he's been absolutely on fire. I had to neutralise that. I had to neutralise his serve, as well, a lot.

“Of course, I'm happy to be sitting next to this trophy."

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Zverev was full of praise for his team, which includes his father and coach Alexander Zverev Sr. After winning his third ATP Tour trophy since his injury, and his biggest since the 2021 Nitto ATP Finals, the 27-year-old reflected on the support he received from Zverev Sr., both on and off court.

“In life in general, I think a father is always important, no matter who it is,” said Zverev. “Somebody who is there. Obviously in my career, super important. It's funny because we actually have a great relationship, which is not always the case. A father-son, father-daughter relationship, when they're coaching them as well. You see it a lot of times, it's very shaky. But we have a great relationship outside as well.

“It's great to still have him around. I'm going to have him around as long as he wants. It's obviously a special moment for all of us, given the circumstances, that this is my first Masters title after the injury. There were obviously a lot of uncertainties whether I was going to be back at this level. I'm happy that the week went the way it went.”

Zverev will now head to Roland Garros, where he will chase his maiden Grand Slam title. He will compete in Paris as the No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings, his highest ranking since August 2022.

“I've said it many times before, and I'm going to say it again: I'm somebody that I know when I don't play well, I can lose to anyone, but when I play well, I know I can beat anyone,” said Zverev. “That's my mindset. That's how I think about it.

“I know I have to focus on myself, to find my rhythm in Paris the way I did here. Then everything is on my own racquet.”

Brain Game analyses how German's delivery dominated championship match
May 19, 2024
Alexander Zverev downs Nicolas Jarry in the final at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
Dan Istitene/Getty Images
Alexander Zverev downs Nicolas Jarry in the final at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia.
By Craig O'Shannessy
Ace, ace, ace.

The first three points were untouchable thunderbolts from Alexander Zverev that laid the foundation for his stunning 6-4, 7-5 victory over Nicolas Jarry in the final of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Sunday in Rome.

Zverev had the best serving day of his illustrious career, losing only five service points for the match. He won 37/39 on first serve and 7/10 on second serve. He only double-faulted once and dropped six aces in 11 service games.

When Jarry won the toss and elected to receive, he would have been hoping for an early break. Instead, the Chilean never sniffed a break point for the entire match while being forced to defend nine on his serve, saving seven.


In the past year, Zverev has emerged as the best server on Tour, leading all players with a 293.5 rating on the Infosys ATP Stats Serve Leaderboard. He has the highest percentage of first serves made at 72.2 per cent, and blew that number out of the water in the final against Jarry, making 80 per cent (39/49). In the opening set, Zverev made a jaw-dropping 90 per cent (19/21) of his first serves and won every single one. He only had to hit two second serves in the opening set, winning one.

In Zverev’s second service game, Jarry put three first serves back in play, but couldn’t win a point. Zverev made his first nine first serves in a row to begin the match and won four of his service games to love in the opening set.

Zverev went on a tear at the end of the first set and the start of the second, winning 12 out of 13 points to further stamp his dominance in the match. He won his opening service game of the second set to love, ramping up the pressure on Jarry not to slip up in his own service games.

Zverev won a staggering 31 straight points on his first serve to 6-4, 4-4, 15/0, when Jarry finally snagged one, hitting a short-angled forehand winner off a drop shot.


Jarry shared key insights after the match into what makes Zverev’s serve so special. “I think his percentage of first serve was pretty high,” Jarry said. “I don't know how much it was, but I felt that I didn't have enough chances. His service, apart from being very good, is very different from all the other serves. He takes the ball very high, so the bounce is very special. It took me time to get the trajectory of it.”

Another factor in Zverev's dominance on his first serve was his ability to mix locations in the service box to keep Jarry guessing where the next bomb was landing.

In the Deuce court, Zverev made 11 serves out wide, one at the body and nine down the T. He didn’t drop a first serve point in the Deuce court. In the Ad court, he made eight down the T (won all of them) and won eight of 10 out wide in the Ad court.

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It’s interesting to note that when you examine serve speed, you see very little difference in performance between the two players:

Fastest 1st Serve: Zverev 140 mph/Jarry 139 mph
Average 1st Serve: Zverev 131 mph/Jarry 129 mph
Average 2nd Serve: Zverev 107 mph/Jarry 107 mph
When Jarry got a return back in the court, Zverev hit 13 Serve +1 forehands, winning 11 of those points, and 11 Serve +1 backhands, winning 10. By comparison, Jarry had to deal with 41 Serve +1 forehands (won 24) and 11 Serve +1 backhands, winning five.

Zverev’s first serve overwhelmed Jarry with the volume he had to contend with and the sharp angle it careened off the court. Add the clever directional mix that Zverev employed, and it ended up being a perfect serve storm for the German, who now ascends to World No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.

World No. 4 prepares for 14-time Roland Garros champion in the first round
May 24, 2024
Alexander Zverev has reached three consecutive semi-finals at Roland Garros.
Getty Images
Alexander Zverev has reached three consecutive semi-finals at Roland Garros.
By ATP Staff
Embrace the challenge!

That appears to be Alexander Zverev’s outlook as he contemplates a blockbuster first-round Roland Garros showdown with Rafael Nadal.

It’s also an opportunity to settle some unfinished business. When the pair last met two years ago on Court Philippe-Chatrier in the semi-finals, the match was shaping as one of the greatest in tournament history before Zverev suffered a catastrophic ankle that ended the match at 6-all in the second set after more than three hours of pulsating tennis.

“To be very honest, I wanted to play Rafa again in my career, because I didn't want my last memory of me playing against Rafa to be me leaving the court on a wheelchair,” Zverev said Friday in Paris. “Ideally, I would have liked to play him in the later stage of the tournament, but it is how it is now. He is unseeded this year. I am seeded. You know, it's a tough draw, but it's a tough draw for both of us. We'll see how it goes on Monday.”

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Fourth-seeded Zverev, who is 28-9 on the season after winning the ATP Masters 1000 title in Rome earlier this month for the second time, thought he was bring pranked when told he would face the 14-time Roland Garros champion in the opening round.

“I was on court with Rublev yesterday on Chatrier practising, and then after the practice was over… my brother told me. I actually thought he's joking in the beginning,” Zverev said.

In an ATPTour.com poll, 72 per cent of fans cite Zverev as the favourite for the clash with Nadal and the fourth favourite (behind Carlos Alcaraz) to win the title. But the German said that despite Nadal’s lack of form and matches coming into the tournament, he expects that the Mallorcan will present a daunting challenge to overcome.

“He has been out injured. He hasn't played a lot of tennis. His ranking is where it is… Everybody now is excited for a tough battle and tough first round. I think he's excited and I'm excited for it,” Zverev said.

“For me, in my mind, I'm going to play peak Rafa Nadal. That's what I expect him to be. I expect him to be at his absolute best. I expect him to play the best tennis he's played in a long time on this court.

“There's always been discussion. I mean, 2022 I remember he came into Roland Garros not winning Monte-Carlo, not winning Madrid, not winning Rome. He came into this tournament, everybody was like, ‘Oh, he's a big question mark, he's this and that’. He came and dominated the entire tournament.”

Zverev has shown remarkable consistency at Roland Garros. He has reached the second week for six straight years, advancing to the semi-finals the past three years and two quarter-finals in 2018-19. His lone first-round loss in eight appearances came in four sets to Fernando Verdasco in 2017.