Tsitsipas vs Zverev: Head to Head Record: All-Time | Different Surfaces | ATP Masters

Rivalries have always taken the quality of tennis to another level. In recent times, the emergence of the Next-Gen has brought a different dimension to the sport. They are aggressive, can beat the big players on their day, and very fearless. 

7 thrilling battles across different countries have been witnessed in the last 3 years between the World number 5 Stefanos Tsitsipas and the World number 6 Alexander Zverev. The Greek leads the head-to-head record by a comfortable 5-2 against the German. 

While Tsitsipas is known for all his all-court game and the potent one-handed backhand, Zverev is a big server and can single-handedly take away the match from opponents with his powerful groundstrokes.

The 22-year-old Stefanos Tsitsipas and 24-year-old Alexander Zverev will also meet in the French Open semifinals this year.

Hence, SportCo compares these two talented youngsters by analyzing their all-time Head-to-Head record on various surfaces and tournaments.

1) Tsitsipas vs Zverev: Last 5 matches

2) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexander Zverev: Head-to-Head Record in Finals

3) Tsitsipas vs Zverev: H2H Record on Clay

4) Stefanos Tsitsipas vs Alexander Zverev: Head-to-Head Record on Hard courts

5) Head-to-Head Record in ATP Masters Tournaments

1) Last 5 Head-to-Head Matches: Stefanos Tsitsipas leads 4-1 against Alexander Zverev

Tsitsipas has performed strongly against Zverev on outdoor clay and indoor courts with a win apiece on the two surfaces. 

The Greek battled past Zverev in a tight 3-set win at the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open in 2019. Tsitsipas raced ahead with a 7-5 lead. However, the German’s second serve was rock-solid in the second set as he grabbed it 6-3. Sascha’s first serve deserted him in the crucial third set as Stefanos broke him twice to win the decider 6-2.

Stefanos Tsitsipas proved to be a tough nut to crack on indoor hardcourts. He made full use of the cool and fast conditions at the ATP Finals in London in 2019. The Greek’s clever backhand passing shots flummoxed Zverev as he won 6-3 6-2 in just 74 minutes. Tsitsipas won (56%) of points on his second serve twice than Zverev’s (28%), which proved to be a big difference. 

The 22-year-old also holds the edge on outdoor hardcourts with a 2-1 win-loss record against Alexander Zverev. Tsitsipas won two matches in straight sets, semifinals of the China Open, 2019 and the round-robin stage of the ATP Cup 2020.

After four tough losses in a row to Stefanos Tsitsipas, Zverev overpowered the Greek 6-4 7-6(3) in the finals of the Acapulco Open this year. Tsitsipas threw away a double break lead in the first set. 

The two Next-Gen stars interestingly were equal in breakpoint conversions (25%) each and saving breakpoints (75%) each. However, Sascha pipped Stefanos in first-serve winning percentage (78%).

Viewpoint: Tsitsipas has a clear edge on indoor hardcourts and outdoor clay surfaces with a 2-0 head-to-head record against Zverev. However, Stefanos is not yet perfect on outdoor hardcourts with a 2-1 win-loss record against the German.

2) Head to Head Record in Finals (All Tournaments): Alexander Zverev leads 1-0 against Stefanos Tsitsipas

Zverev and Tsitsipas have clashed only once in finals so far after meeting in the ATP-500 Acapulco Open this season. 

The German had a sluggish start as Stefanos grabbed a big lead of 4-1. However, Alexander fought back like a warrior taking 5 games in a row in the first set as Tsitsipas committed a lot of unforced errors. 

The second set went neck-to-neck as the players split 8 games equally. Zverev got the vital break at 5-4 but double-faulted on championship point in the 10th game. 

The tie-breaker had long rallies and Sascha kept frustrating the Greek with his cross-court returns. The German controlled his nerves and returned a poorly-timed drop shot behind Tsitsipas and won it 7-6(3) to grab his first title of the year.

"I did everything I could, but Alex was superior," said Tsitsipas praising Zverev’s high level. 

“When I have my chances, I need to close it out against these top players because normally they will not give you a second chance, I thought I played extremely well in the tiebreak, I am happy with how it went,” remarked Zverev delighted with his come-from-behind victory against Tsitsipas. 

3) Head to Head on Clay: Tsitsipas leads Zverev 1-0 in their H2H record on the red dirt

At the heart of Spain, Tsitsipas and Zverev locked horns again in the quarterfinals of the Madrid Open. Before this massive match, Stefanos had ousted the veteran Fernando Verdasco 6-3 6-4 in the round of 16. 

Third seed Zverev fought back a one-set deficit against Hubert Hurkacz winning 3-6 6-4 6-4 in the pre-quarters. 

Tsitsipas drew first blood taking the first set 7-5. However, Sascha used his big serve to good effect grabbing the second set 6-3. Stefanos returned the ball deeply and utilized the windy conditions to his advantage in the decider. 

The Greek converted the limited breakpoint opportunities and clinched the third set 6-2 to book his spot in the semis. 

It was a tough defeat for Zverev though he fired 8 aces and had a better second-serve winning percentage of 55 than Tsitsipas’s 48. The highest quality of tennis was witnessed on clay and Tsitsipas got 94 points, just 4 more than Zverev (90) in the 2-hour 11-minute encounter.

4) Head-to-Head Record on Hard Courts: Stefanos Tsitsipas holds forte with a 4-2 margin against Alexander Zverev

Apart from his victory in the Acapulco Open Finals in March 2021, Zverev comfortably beat Tsitsipas in their first-ever meeting in the semifinals of the Washington Open, 2018. 

Ahead of this match, Tsitsipas, the 10th seed upset the 3rd seeded David Goffin 6-3 6-4 in the quarterfinals. The Greek won 86% of his first-serve points. 

On the other hand, Zverev won a gripping 3-setter against Nishikori in the quarters. His big serve and composure under pressure helped erase the first-set deficit of 6-3. 

The crowd at Washington got a glimpse of some lightning-fast shotmaking from both the youngsters in the semis. 

Sascha was serving bombs and did not face a single breakpoint throughout the match. The German was clearly the better player with a higher first serve (84>64%) and a second-serve (58%>42%) winning percentage respectively. 

Stefanos Tsitsipas bounced back after just 6 days with a thrilling 3-setter win against Zverev in the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup. Sascha was cruising with a 6-3 lead. However, Tsitsipas called the shots in the second-set tiebreaker taking it 13-11. The pressure of serving second in the decider affected Zverev as Stefanos took the third set 6-4. Tsitsipas also saved 2 match points. 

Interestingly, both Tsitsipas and Zverev had equal aces (5) each and double faults (6) each at the end of the match. The Greek converted all 4 breakpoints while the German could convert only 36% (5 out of 14). 

Stefanos Tsitsipas proved to be unshakable in Beijing with a 7-6(6) 6-4 victory in the semifinals of the China Open in 2019. He was once again unstoppable under the lights with a one-sided 6-3 6-2 victory in the Nitto ATP Finals (Round-Robin), 2019.

Representing a proud Greek nation in the ATP Cup, Tsitsipas was too good in the round-robin stage of the ATP Cup 2020 thrashing Alexander Zverev 6-1 6-4.

Viewpoint: Alexander Zverev has performed well against Stefanos Tsitsipas in North American tournaments, Washington and Acapulco. The Greek has dominated the German in countries like Australia, Canada, China, and the United Kingdom. 

5) Head to Head in ATP Masters 1000 tournaments: Tsitsipas comfortably leads Zverev 2-0

Tsitsipas won both his ATP-1000 clashes against Zverev. It included an edge-of-the-seat 3-set victory in the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup, 2018 and another 3-set win in the quarters of the Mutua Madrid Open, 2019. 

Wrapping Up

Their riveting rivalry ended with a 1-1 head-to-head record in 2018. However, Stefanos Tsitsipas was ruthless in 2019 and 2020 winning 4 matches in a row against Alexander Zverev. The German stopped his poor run with a convincing 6-4 7-6(3) victory in the Mexican Open Finals in 2021.

The future of tennis lies in the hands of the gifted shot-maker Tsitsipas and the power-hitter Zverev. While Sascha came so close to winning a grand slam in the finals of the US Open 2020, Tsitsipas has reached two grand slam semifinals so far, Australian Open 2019 and the French Open 2020. 

The Greek will be aiming to reach his maiden grand slam final at Roland Garros 2021 while the German will try to bury memories of New York and lift his level on the Parisian clay. 

So what are your views about the supremely talented duo of Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alexander Zverev? Who will have the last laugh in the semifinals of the French Open 2021? Do let us know in the comments below. 

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