It felt like deja vu in Vienna. Jannik Sinner was back on the same court where he triumphed in 2023, and once again, he left with the trophy. The top seed fought through cramps, fatigue, and a fired-up Alexander Zverev to win the Erste Bank Open 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Sunday. It was his 21st career title and his 21st straight victory on indoor hard courts. The match began with Zverev in control. He broke early, striking cleanly off both wings, while Sinner looked uncomfortable between points just like in Shanghai earlier this month when he retired mid-match due to cramps. But the Italian found his rhythm to take the second set.

By the time the decider came, the cramps were seemingly back—this time in his left hamstring—yet so was his fight. Between points, he sipped pickle juice, his go-to fix for muscle fatigue, and somehow found another gear. He began to hit deeper, shorten rallies, and distance himself from Alexander Zverev. After one of the match’s longest rallies, Zverev pushed a backhand long at 5–5 in the final set. To cap off a two-hour, twenty-nine-minute comeback that encapsulated his 2025 season, Sinner broke and then served it out. But what made the night even more special came right after the final handshake, when Zverev publicly praised Sinner.

In a post shared by The Tennis Letter on X, Zverev said, “Good evening, good afternoon. Not quite sure what time it is 😂 I’d like to congratulate Jannik, whose level has been off the charts these last two years. Currently, for me, you’re the best player in the world.” And honestly, he wasn’t exaggerating. Sinner’s 2025 has been spectacular, winning both the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and reaching all four Grand Slam finals. Statistically, Carlos Alcaraz still holds the No. 1 spot with 11,340 ATP points, while Sinner sits close behind at 10,000. But in Vienna, it was clear who ruled the night.

As Zverev summed up perfectly, “What an amazing year. Four Grand Slam finals and two Grand Slam titles. This week, of course, simply the best player here in Vienna. To your team, very well done. The improvement you guys made is amazing to see. Well done and good luck.” ❤️

Those words summed up what everyone felt admiration for. Jannik Sinner deserved every bit of it. He didn’t drop a single set before the final, and now sits at 48-6 for the season, according to the ATP Win/Loss Index. The 24-year-old heads next to the Paris Masters and the ATP Finals, brimming with confidence.

As for Zverev, the former Vienna champion (2021) had joined Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic in qualifying for Turin just two days earlier. His Vienna run pushed him to third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, overtaking Djokovic. But on this Sunday, all eyes belonged to Sinner – the man who played through pain and still came out on top.

Jannik Sinner opens up on hamstring scare

Jannik Sinner made no secret of his on-court struggles following his victory at the Vienna Open. His resolve was just as real as the cramps. “Yeah it feels amazing,” he began in his post-match interview. “It was such a difficult start in this final for me and although a break down, I had some chances in the first set, he was serving very very well… Third set was a bit of a rollercoaster but I was feeling very well the ball at times.”

As for the cramps scare near the end, Sinner explained, “It was very difficult of course. But you know most important is to trying to not give up, trying to stay there, trying to see what the situation is and I just tried to make the right choices in the right time so I think that was the key today and serving well, saving energy in my service game as well was important too. It was a very great performance from me, but I feel like from both sides.”

Beyond the court, though, Sinner must contend with another obstacle that may influence his future: Darren Cahill, his longtime coach, is set to retire at the end of this season.

Cahill has played a key role in helping Sinner improve his game and navigate pivotal moments in his career. “We haven’t gone into great detail about it yet. I owe Darren a debt of gratitude for all that he has given me. He was much more than just a coach to me; we’ll decide together what to do,” Sinner acknowledged, also adding that he would try to convince Cahill to stick on.

All that’s left is to wait and see whether Cahill is once again in Jannik Sinner’s box come Australian Open 2026.