Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner defeated Alexander Zverev in the semifinals of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells , to reach the final of the ATP Masters 1000 event.
Second seed Sinner, who had lost in the last four in his last two appearances at Indian Wells, defeated fourth seed Zverev 6-2, 6-4 for his sixth straight win over the German.
"This is an incredible achievement. It's my first time here and I've reached the final, which means a lot to me," said Sinner.
"This is my third time playing in the semifinals here, so I'm very happy. Now let's see what comes next."
"Of course, the next match will be a very tough test, but I'm very happy. We've improved this week, in this tournament, and for me, that's the most important part," said the 24-year-old.
"It was a great performance from me. I felt like Sascha wasn't playing very well today. I broke him a couple of times in the first set, which gave me confidence going into the match, and I served really well in the key moments. I'm really happy."
Zverev started the semifinal confidently. He won his first eight points on serve, but Sinner delivered a fine return to win the rally.
Sinner converted break points at 30/40 in the fifth and seventh games, respectively. In the eighth game, Sinner quickly closed out the set, dropping only four points on serve.
Zverev took a commanding lead early in the second set. He then sent a forehand long and double-faulted, giving Sinner two break points , but he managed to control his serve and regain control of the match.
