Now to Sinner just has to wait for the outcome of the other semi-final to follow, on the Italian night, which will see his closest rival, his friend and n.1 Alcaraz, opposite to Russian Medvedev.
A balanced start under the California sun
Ready to go under a scorching sun with Zverev immediately shows up with his best shot: the serve. The solid and concrete German at serve never starts the exchange with Jannik and first game won at zero.
It starts well too Sinner holds serve at 15. In the first moments the movements of the South Tyrolean seem fluid, who during the warm-up had suffered a small discomfort in the lower back area.
It goes quickly at 2-2 in the first set when Sinner sketches the first acceleration which allows him to place the first break of the match taking the lead to 3-2 against Zverev.
It’s hot and the ball bounces high, making the task of the returner complicated. Result: few exchanges are seen, just two in number in the first four games.
The first set dominated by Sinner
With a crossed backhand buried in the net, the 28-year-old from Hamburg loses the first point at serve in the match: it is the first game in which he exchanges on all points – also because a Zverev enters the first a little less – and here with a second backhand error, this time in length, comes the first break point that the world no.2 doesn’t miss.
From here on the sample of Sesto Pusteria is already master of the court with irresistible forehands, scores another break and flies to 5-2 by serving for the set.
The blue player easily gets three set-points in a row: on the first he commits a double fault, on the second he misses with a backhand but on the third it is the backhand down the line of Zverev going off on a tangent. And with the fifth game in a row Sinner closes the set by flying ahead 1-0.
Second set and qualification to the final
The second set begins with the South Tyrolean always on the ball and one Zverev barely manages to hold serve, while the Italian no.2 doesn’t miss a beat when it’s his turn to serve.
It’s 3-3 with Zverev who just when he seems to be showing signs of awakening falls back and gives another break to Sinner takes a 4-3 lead in the second half.
So the blue still holds serve, signing the 5-3 in his favor without granting a chance Zverev serving to stay in the match.
We go to 5-4 with Sinner serving to win his first final in the Californian tournament.
The South Tyrolean is infallible on serve, he closes the set 6-4 and now all he has to do is wait for the name, between Alcaraz e Medvedev, of the opponent for a final that already promises a spectacle.
The dream of the title and the Masters 1000 record
However, there is now a chance for the Italian to win the title Indian Wells and become the third player after Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic to win all six tournaments ATP Masters 1000 on hard.
On this surface Sinner won his first Masters 1000, in Canada in 2023. He then triumphed twice atAustralian Open (2024 and 2025) and as many at Nitto ATP Finals (2024 and 2025), in 2024 he triumphed at Miami and others Cincinnati.
Indian Wells remains the only “Big Title” on hard court that he still lacks.