"Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal would've never said such things" - When Jannik Sinner blasted Alexander Zverev for 'fever' excuse after loss

Jannik Sinner, known for staying away from controversies, once expressed his frustration after Alexander Zverev cited illness as an excuse following their 2020 French Open encounter. The Italian claimed that if it had been Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal in Zverev's place, they would never have made such a statement.

One of the many encounters between Sinner and Zverev took place in the fourth round of Roland-Garros that year, marking their first-ever meeting. The former secured a convincing victory over the German, winning 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. Following the match, the latter claimed that he had been unwell, suffering from a fever prior to the encounter, and admitted he couldn’t play at his best, even suggesting he probably shouldn’t have competed.

"I'm completely sick," Alexander Zverev told the media. "I can’t really breathe, as you can hear by my voice. I had fever, you know, as well. Yeah I’m not in the best physical state, I would say. I think that had a little bit of an effect on the match today. I warmed up today; I shouldn’t have played.”

Alexander Zverev's comments seemed to rub Jannik Sinner the wrong way, prompting him to fire back. While the Italian acknowledged his respect for the German’s experience on the ATP Tour, he made it clear that he didn’t feel the same about his remarks.

"I respect him a lot because he’s won more than me, he’s got more experience on the circuit, and he’s a great player," Sinner told Corriere in 2020. "However, I do not respect his statements after his defeat to me at Roland Garros. He contradicted himself a lot. He said he had a fever, but in the third and fourth sets, he ran more than me.”

"It seems to me that he was looking for an excuse after his defeat. Federer or Nadal, for example, would never have said such things," the World No. 1 added.

Alexander Zverev leads Jannik Sinner in h2h record

Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner pictured at the 2025 Australian Open | Image Source: Getty

Alexander Zverev and Jannik Sinner have met seven times on the ATP Tour, forging a compelling rivalry. With four wins to Sinner’s three, Zverev currently holds the upper hand in their head-to-head record.

After their first-ever encounter at the French Open in 2020, the duo met again later that year at Cologne 2, where Zverev claimed the win. He also triumphed in their next three meetings, at the 2021 and 2023 US Open and the 2022 Monte-Carlo Masters.

Then they faced off again in the semifinal of the Cincinnati Masters in 2024, where Sinner came out on top. Their most recent encounter was at the 2025 Australian Open final, where Sinner claimed victory once again.