ATP Tour

Zverev survives late Atmane twist, makes it 9 straight in Madrid

Alexander Zverev held firm under pressure on Monday night at the Mutua Madrid Open, where he navigated a late wobble to continue his run of deep appearances at the ATP Masters 1000 event.

The second-seeded German failed to serve out the match at 5-3 in the second set while Terence Atmane threatened a turnaround, but Zverev regrouped to close out a 6-3, 7-6(2) victory. With his one-hour, 37-minute win on Manolo Santana Stadium, the two-time Madrid champion Zverev is into the last 16 for the ninth time in as many appearances.

Got the job done ✅@AlexZverev gets past Atmane 6-3, 7-6(2).@MutuaMadridOpen | #MMOPEN pic.twitter.com/z19xZBFmQh

— ATP Tour (@atptour) April 27, 2026

Following an inconsistent start to the 2025 season, highlighted by a run to the Australian Open final but early exits in Indian Wells and Monte-Carlo, Zverev has flipped the script in 2026. With his win over Atmane, the No. 3 player in the PIF ATP Rankings joins Jannik Sinner as the only players to reach the last 16 at all four Masters 1000 events this season.

Sinner halted Zverev's recent runs in Indian Wells, Miami and Monte-Carlo in the semi-finals at each event, but the pair could only meet again in Madrid if both advance to the final. Up next, Zverev will face Jakub Mensik, who converted his third match point to defeat Karen Khachanov.

With a 27-6 record in Madrid, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, Zverev sits behind only Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray for most wins at the event in history.

Madrid Win Leaders

In his first Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting with Atmane, Zverev combined his trademark baseline power with a series of deft drop shots, effectively disrupting the tricky lefty’s rhythm throughout the match. Although he suffered a slight dip in form late on, Zverev regrouped with a watertight tie-break to seal victory.

Elsewhere in Zverev's quarter of the draw, Daniil Medvedev and Flavio Cobolli both earned clinical wins on Monday. Medvedev saw off #NextGenATP qualifier Nicolai Budkov Kjaer 6-3, 6-2, while Cobolli defeated Adolfo Daniel Vallejo with the same result. Medvedev takes a 2-0 Lexus ATP Head2Head lead into his fourth-round match with Cobolli, but they have not met since Beijing in 2024.