Jannik Sinner has done it again. On the 25th of October, he beat Alex de Minaur in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, in just under 90 minutes to reach the final of the 2025 Vienna Open. And yes, his unbeaten streak against De Minaur now stretches to a perfect 12-0. But this isn’t just another final appearance. It’s Sinner’s eighth of the year, a feat no one has accomplished since Novak Djokovic in 2015-16. Sure, the Italian star has been unstoppable, reaching every match in Vienna without facing a break point… until the semis. Even when De Minaur broke him twice, Sinner never panicked. But he has one last challenge left.

In the final, he’ll face Alexander Zverev, but before that, Sinner shared his thoughts on the match, expectations, and the mental grind that comes with being at the top. When asked about the match against De Minaur, Sinner said, “Trying to play some good tennis. Trying to serve very well. First set was very physical. I’m happy I won in two sets today. He changed a couple things, which I was ready for today.”

He was further asked about the “changes” De Minaur made. This time, De Minaur introduced more slice shots, including down-the-line slices, to open up the court and disrupt Sinner’s rhythm. Additionally, de Minaur altered his return positioning and increased the frequency of his drop shots to challenge Sinner’s movement and timing. But Sinner enjoyed it.

As he said, “Well, I don’t want to say, you know. He knows. He knows for sure what to do. How to put me under pressure. In the moment when you don’t serve very well, you have to play every ball and every point. It can get very physical. He changed up with the slice a bit. Also slice down the line today and opening the court. Many small things he’s changed. Generally I’m happy how I handled it. I was a break up in the 2nd. He broke me back. I tried to stay there mentally. Happy about today’s performance and happy to be in the final again.”

And when asked about expectations—being the No. 1 seed, four straight-set wins, media duties, and fans wanting a piece of him—and how it affected him, Sinner admitted, “A bit, yes, of course. At the same time the biggest expectation is for myself. I play for myself. I play for my team. Just trying to put the best performance I can. Came here quite late. Tried to take every day in the best possible me way.”

“Happy to be in the final. It was not easy. I’m very happy. I hope I can recover in the best possible way. Hopefully I’m ready for the next one. Tomorrow is gonna be a very difficult one. I’m here. I’m very happy. We all hope for a great final.”

Jannik Sinner is chasing his own standards, not anyone else’s. And watching him handle pressure like this? Simply exhilarating. Sinner is just one win away from reclaiming his Vienna Open crown, having also lifted the trophy in 2023. The Italian is 16-4 at this event and has won his last 20 indoor hard-court matches. But the big question remains: who can stop him?

Will Jannik Sinner claim Vienna?

After the shock exits of the top seeds and Valentin Vacherot’s surprise victory in Shanghai, Vienna has been a straightforward tournament for Sinner and for the rest of the rest of the ATP, as the final will be contested by the two top seeds and the World Nos. 2 and 3: Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner.

It’s a replay of their final at the Australian Open, where Sinner comfortably won in straight sets. It’s been their only meeting all season until now, with Zverev enduring a number of disappointing tournament runs. Though Zverev currently holds a narrow 4-3 lead in his head-to-head against Sinner, recent history favors the Italian to take the title in Vienna.

After 8 finals and 2 Grand Slam victories, Sinner has enjoyed a good run of form this year, firmly establishing himself as the player to beat, alongside Carlos Alcaraz, for the rest of the tour. By contrast, Zverev only has a BMW Open victory to his name after suffering early exits in nearly all his tournament appearances since.

But Zverev, in his first final since that win, has something to prove. Sinner may be the overwhelming favorite, but Zverev’s hunger could certainly pose a threat if he allows the German even a little room to breathe.