Jannik Sinner arrives at Madrid as the world number one and enters on strong clay form, having won his last five matches including a straight-sets victory over Carlos Alcaraz and a 2-0 defeat of Cameron Norrie. The Italian has dominated recent opponents on the surface with four consecutive 2-0 wins, demonstrating consistency across multiple rounds. Against Alexander Zverev, Sinner holds a 5-5 head-to-head record, meaning this Madrid encounter represents an evenly-matched contest between the two players.

Alexander Zverev, ranked number three globally, arrives in Madrid fresh from three consecutive victories over Jannik Mensik, Terence Atmane, and Mariano Navone, though those wins came in tight contests requiring three sets. The German suffered a recent setback against Federico Cobolli in straight sets but has recovered with solid form leading into the tournament. Zverev's 5-5 career head-to-head record against Sinner suggests this Madrid clay-court clash could go either way on a surface where both players compete at the highest level.