Zverev: "Sinner and Alcaraz can be defeated."

Toronto, July 30, 2025 – The Toronto Masters 1000 has begun, the first major tournament on American hard courts that precedes the final Grand Slam of the season, the US Open . The draw isn't particularly difficult, given that there are some notable absences: both Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz chose not to participate in the tournament to recharge their batteries for the final Grand Slam tournament, after the efforts of Roland Garros and Wimbledon , where they reached the final on both occasions. Besides the Italian and the Spaniard, others also chose to skip the Canadian Masters 1000, such as Novak Djokovic and Jack Draper . For this reason, the Toronto tournament represents a great opportunity for other tennis players to earn important ranking points and climb the rankings. Among those looking to take advantage of the situation is undoubtedly Zverev , who starts as the top seed, but also Taylor Fritz, the second seed. In his pre-Masters 1000 press conference in Toronto, the latter spoke specifically about Sinner and Alcaraz, praising their level but, at the same time, saying that they are not unbeatable and that, given the right conditions, they can be defeated. These were his words: “Sinner and Alcaraz? They are much superior to the others, their level is definitely higher, but I am convinced that under certain conditions they are beatable. In tennis, a bad day can change everything, and in a match where their game is not at its best, some players can beat them. Unlike, however, on days when they succeed and play their best tennis: in this case, the situation is very different.” The rivalry between Sinner and Alcaraz is undoubtedly the most important rivalry in tennis today, and it will shape the sport for years to come. It's no coincidence that the last seven Grand Slam trophies have been won by either the South Tyrolean or the Spaniard, and that they faced each other in the final of the last two: the last player to have won before them was Novak Djokovic almost two years ago, at the 2023 US Open. Since then, Sinner has won the 2024 and 2025 Australian Open, the 2024 US Open, and Wimbledon 2025, while Alcaraz has won this year's and last year's Roland Garros, and Wimbledon 2024. However, many players have challenged the two, from Rune to Zverev, and now even Fritz, who doesn't want to surrender to the hegemony of the Italian and Spaniard.