Alexander Zverev won his first Italian Open title in 2017 after defeating Novak Djokovic 6-4, 6-3 in the final. This marked his first ever Masters 1000 title. He was the first player born after 1990 to win a Masters 1000 title. He was also the second player after Andy Murray in the previous year, to break Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic’s dominance on the Italian Open since 2005.
After his win in 2017, the Italian Open went back to being dominated by Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, with both legends winning it in the next five editions till 2022.
Rafael Nadal never made it to the 2023 Italian Open due to injury, and Holger Rune knocked out Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals. Daniil Medvedev then beat Rune in the final to mark the first time in 19 years that an Italian Open final didn’t have at least one of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.
Alexander Zverev’s Dominant Italian Open
Seeded number three with the absence of higher ranked players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz due to injury, Alexander Zverev got a bye to the second round of the Italian Open. In the second round, he defeated Aleksandar Vukic 6-0, 6-4.
His third-round clash with Luciano Darderi was more tasking in the first set than his clash with Aleksandar Vukic. After conquering Darderi in a tie-break, he coasted to a 6-2 second set win. Alexander Zverev kept up his dominance into the fourth round where he faced Nuno Borges. In two sets, he defeated the Portuguese 6-2, 7-5.
It was in the quarter-finals against Taylor Fritz that Zverev faced a seeded player for the first time all tournament. He continued his imperial form against the Americans, defeating him 6-4, 6-3. His next game was the toughest he had ever played all through the 2024 Italian Open.
Paired with Alejandro Tabilo in the semifinals, the German dropped his first set 6-1 in what looked like the markings of another major tournament shock. The Chilean had been the one who had knocked out world number one, Novak Djokovic. It was also the first time Zverev was dropping a set all through the tournament. The German recovered to win the second and third sets to reach his second Italian Open final.
Zverev Carried His Dominance Into The Final
All through the first set, Nicolas Jarry hit Zverev continuously with exquisite drop shots, while Zverev kept his backhand and forehand hitting winners. Jarry won five more shots at the net with his excellent drop shots and backhand and forehand slices, while Zverev got double Jarry’s aces, and never faced a single break point all set.
Nicolas Jarry saved two break points in the eighth game of the set but buckled when he faced two more in the tenth game of the set, gifting Zverev his first break of the set and a 6-4 first-set win.
The second set turned out to play out similarly to the first set. Once again, Alexander Zverev didn’t face a single break point all through the set while Nicolas Jarry dominated him at the net.
The second set would’ve ended like the first set did. Jarry was faced once again with two break points like in the tenth game of the first set. The Chilean saved both break points this time, the second one with a massive cross-court forehand. But, two games later, Zverev broke him on the sixth break point he’d faced all set, to win the championship, his sixth Masters 1000 title.
A Tournament Of Firsts And A Day Of Gratitude
The 2024 Italian Open final was the first-ever Masters 1000 final for Nicolas Jarry. It was also a fabulous tournament for Chile with Alejandro Tabilo also getting into his first Masters 1000 semifinals. It’s also the first time two Chileans would teach the semifinals of the same Masters 1000 tournament.
When receiving his runners-up award, with a crowd chanting in support, Nicolas Jarry expressed a desire to return to subsequent finals and win. He said:
“There has been a lot of sacrifice from myself and from everyone behind me to support me and to take care of me to come here to this amazing stadium. It’s an honor to be here to play in this final. Hopefully I can come back again and try to win it.”
When receiving his trophy, Alexander Zverev talked about recovering from the injury he sustained during the semifinals of the 2022 French Open against Rafael Nadal where he tore three ligaments in his right ankle.
“The last two years have been extremely difficult, coming from an injury that I didn’t know whether I was ever going to be on this stage regardless of winning or losing, so this moment is extremely special.”
About the Author
Ebenezer has been an avid writer for over a decade and a half. Within that period, he has garnered experience in various fields such as editing, graphics design, transcribing, sales, data analysis, and football management.
Check us out on X @TotalApexEandG and @TotalApexSports, and our other sites: Total Apex Entertainment, Total Apex Sports, Total Apex Gaming, Total Apex Sports Bets, and Total Apex Fantasy Sports. For more articles by Ebenezer Ugorji, click here and here!
