Alexander Zverev produced one of the most thrilling comebacks of the season on Friday, saving two match points to defeat Daniil Medvedev 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(5) at the Rolex Paris Masters. The victory snapped a five-match losing streak against the Russian and kept Zverev’s title defence alive. With this win, he advances to the semifinals, where he will face second seed Jannik Sinner in a highly anticipated rematch of last week’s Vienna final.
Zverev’s tactical shift proves decisive
Medvedev started strong, dominating the first set with his signature deep return position and consistent baseline play. Zverev initially attempted to disrupt his opponent’s rhythm with serve-and-volley tactics and drop shots, but struggled to find success. After a slip in the eighth game and a brief scare involving his left hamstring, Zverev recalibrated his approach.
“I felt like in the beginning I was playing well, but I was playing very stupid tactically,” Zverev admitted. “I felt my shots, I felt like I could turn the match around because I was feeling really well with my shots, but again, I was playing very, very dumb. I changed a few things in my tactics and broke back. He helped me with a break break [at 1-0 in the second set].”
Saving match points with nerves of steel
The deciding set saw both players locked in a tense battle. At 4-5, Zverev faced two match points on his serve. He held his nerve, including converting a difficult overhead and winning a 27-shot rally that ended with a fortunate net cord. The match culminated in a gripping tie-break, where Zverev overcame a missed overhead at 5/3 to eventually close out the match.
“The thing I’m most pleased with is the match points saved, the way I continued being brave and in the important moments, winning the match myself,” Zverev said in his on-court interview.
Medvedev’s Turin hopes dashed
With the loss, Daniil Medvedev’s hopes of qualifying for the Nitto ATP Finals came to an end. The Russian, who had been chasing one of the final spots in Turin, will now have to wait until next season for another shot at the year-end championship.
Zverev, meanwhile, continues his pursuit of back-to-back titles in Paris and will now prepare for a challenging encounter against Jannik Sinner, who defeated him in straight sets in Vienna just days ago. The German will be looking to reverse that result and book his place in the final.
https://tennistonic.com/wp-admin/edit.php?page=bulk-article
https://tennistonic.com/wp-admin/edit.php?page=bulk-article
ATP Paris - Alexander Zverev's projected path
Zverev in Paris, ranking, and results in 2025
At the moment ranked no.
3, Zverev has achieved a 54-22 win-loss record in 2025. The German is participating in Paris where he toppled the world no.49 Camilo Ugo Carabelli 6-7(5) 6-1 7-5, the world no.15 Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-2 6-4 and the world no.13 Daniil Medvedev 2-6 6-3 7-6(5).Alexander Zverev will face the world no.2 Jannik Sinner in the semifinal on Saturday at 5:00 pm on COURT CENTRAL. Their record is 4-4.
Zverev conquered 1 title in 2025 in Munich. The German got to the final at the Australian Open, in Stuttgart (Boss Open) and in Vienna (Erste Bank Open).
The German won 25 titles in his career: 8 on hard courts, 9 on clay courts and 8 on indoor courts. (See the list of his titles)
Daniil Medvedev in 2025
Currently the world no.13, Daniil played his last match on the 31st of October when he lost to world no.3 Alexander Zverev 2-6 6-3 7-6(5) in the quarter in Paris (draw).
This season Medvedev owns a composed 41-23 record. This year, the Russian lifted the trophy in Almaty. Medvedev was the runner-up in Halle.
He is also scheduled to play in Metz (Moselle Open). The main draw will start on the 2nd of November.
Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev squared off 22 times. The head to head is 14-8 for Medvedev.