Did Alexander Zverev Call Jannik Sinner "Best Player in the World"?

Alexander Zverev's praise of Jannik Sinner has been translated by German-speaking fans.

Alexander Zverev's comments about Jannik Sinner were mistranslated. | IMAGO / GEPA pictures

Since losing to Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final, Alexander Zverev spent much of the 2025 ATP season in a downward spiral. Despite hanging at the World No. 3 spot and winning a title in Munich, Zverev has had a bad year.

The German star has questioned himself and even opened up about his mental health struggles throughout the marathon season.

However, the 28-year-old rubbed many tennis fans the wrong way by espousing the theory that tournament organizers are using court speeds to help Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

With the season nearing its conclusion, Zverev bounced back with one of his best matches of the year on Sunday. He played at a high level before ultimately losing to Sinner in the Vienna Open (Erste Bank Open) final. Sinner won in three sets: 3-6, 6-3, 7-5.

Update - Context on Zverev's German translation.

Making matters worse for Zverev, there was debate over the translation of Zverev's post-match comments. The official Erste Bank Open shared an edited Instagram video which included the part where Zverev said Sinner was the best player this week.

Zverev said, "In the last couple of years, the way you play is simply incredible. All four Grand Slam finals, and you won two of them. One against me, but it's okay. You've been the best player this week - a well-deserved win. Congrats!"

However, the full quote can be seen on YouTube. According to German-speaking fans, Zverev joked, "Settle down, we all know you are the best player in the world…let me win something for once."

As of today, Zverev holds steady as the No. 3 in the ATP Rankings. He has a singles record of 51-22 with one title. Zverev has already clinched his spot in the ATP Finals in Turin.

But first, Zverev has one more significant indoor hard-court tournament this week: the Rolex Paris Masters.

Last year, Zverev defeated Ugo Humbert in straight sets to win the Masters 1000 event. So, the struggling star must now defend a lot of points at the end of a crucial season. It is not too late for Zverev to turn around his season with an incredible finish in Paris and Turin.

The 2025 Rolex Paris Masters runs from October 25 - November 2. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.