Alexander Zverev was crowned as the champion for the second time at the Madrid Open on Sunday when he defeated Matteo Berrettini in three sets. This was Zverev’s fourth ATP Masters 1000 total.
The world number six was unable to convert a set point at 7/6 in the first-set tie-break but claimed three service breaks in the next two sets to complete a memorable week at La Caja Magica. Zverev defeated three consecutive Top 10 stars to claim the second title.
Alexander Zverev defeated the No 1 seed and the current world no 3 Rafael Nadal in the quarter-finals in straight sets. It was the repeat of the 2018 finals as the German defeated Dominic Thiem in straight sets to make his way into the finals. Zverev was relieved to win this title after losing the last three finals of Masters 1000 events.
“It is great to win this title, especially after losing my last three finals I played at Masters 1000 events. This is special and I just want to enjoy this one.”
Zverev’s victory ended his three-year Masters 1000 title drought. The German did not drop his serve en route to his first Madrid crown in 2018 where he defeated Thiem in straight sets. Zverev owns a 15-2 record in Madrid, which represents his best win percentage (.882) across all nine Masters 1000 tournaments. He won €7,279,270 as the tournament prize money.
Novak Djokovic was the defending champion of this tournament, but he decided to withdraw from the tournament this year. Zverev will now travel to Rome, where he will compete as the sixth seed at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia. The 15-time ATP Tour title winner has reached two finals in the Italian capital, highlighted by his maiden Masters 1000 triumph in 2017. Zverev will be looking to get much-needed confidence under his belt before Wimbledon. The German star is yet to taste success at a grand slam despite impressive performances in other tournaments.