Sinner battles cramps to defend Vienna title and extend indoor winning streak to 21 matches

The top-seeded Italian rallied from a set down to defeat Zverev 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, sealing his 21st career ATP title after two hours and 29 minutes of intense play. The victory marked his fourth trophy of the season and his second consecutive triumph in Vienna, joining Roger Federer and Andy Murray as players to have won the tournament twice while ranked world No. 1.

“It feels amazing,” Sinner said after the match. “It was a tough start — I went a break down and couldn’t convert some chances early. But I stayed mentally strong and tried to play my best tennis when it mattered. The third set was a rollercoaster, but I’m very happy to have come through and win another title. It’s very special.”

Zverev, who won in Vienna in 2021, started aggressively and broke early in the first set as Sinner appeared to struggle with movement, reminiscent of the cramps that forced his retirement in Shanghai earlier this month. Despite Zverev’s dominance early on, Sinner regained control in the second set with cleaner hitting and more precise serving.

The deciding set brought fresh tension as Sinner appeared to cramp again in his left hamstring midway through. However, the Italian adjusted his tactics — sipping pickle juice during changeovers and shortening rallies — to maintain momentum. He secured the decisive break at 6-5 after a grueling baseline rally ended with Zverev pushing a backhand long, then calmly served out the match.

“It was very difficult, especially with the cramps,” Sinner admitted. “The most important thing was not to give up. I tried to make the right choices at the right time and manage my service games well to save energy — that made the difference.”

Sinner’s victory in Austria capped a dominant run in which he did not drop a set until the final. Now boasting a 48-6 record for the season, the 24-year-old heads to the Rolex Paris Masters and Nitto ATP Finals full of confidence.

For Zverev, the loss ended his bid for a first win over a top-five opponent this year. Nonetheless, his strong performance in Vienna moved him up to third place in the PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, behind Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.