Men’s quarterfinal preview
03.25.26
By Harvey Fialkov / Staff writer
Why Tiafoe? Tiafoe has played with house money on his last two wins ; he saved two match points in a third-round win over defending champion Jakub Mensik and then dug out of a 4-4, 0-40 hole in the third set in a victory over Terence Atmane Wednesday. He has regained confidence after reaching the Acapulco final this year. He features a deadly forehand and elite court coverage.
Why Sinner? The world No. 2 has defeated the last 28 Americans he’s faced, including Alex Michelsen on Tuesday. Tiafoe’s only win over Sinner came on shorts sets in the 2019 Next Gen ATP Finals when the Italian was just 18. He has won a Masters 1000-record 14 consecutive matches and 28 sets (Paris 2025, Indian Wells, Miami). He has reached the Miami quarters in his first five appearances, only the third man to do that, joining Yannick Noah and Stefan Edberg. Sinner’s serve is a dominant weapon, and he also has a deadly forehand.
| Frances Tiafoe | Jannik Sinner | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank: | 20 | 1 |
| Seed: | 19 | 1 |
| Country: | USA | Italy |
| Age: | 28 | 24 |
| Career Titles: | 3 | 25 (4 Grand Slams) |
| 2026 Titles: | 0 | 1 (Indian Wells) |
| Year-to-date-record: | 15-6 | 16-2 |
| Miami Open record: | 17-8 (2019 QF) | 22-3 (2024 Title) |
| Career Ernings: | $16,522,260 | $60,039,831 |
Head-to-head: Sinner 4-1 (all on hard, last meeting Sinner won 2024 Cincinnati final)
During the 2026 Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 23, 2026 in Miami Gardens (Photo by Kelly Gavin/South Florida Stadium)
Why Cerundolo? Of his 17 Masters match wins, 15 have come in Miami where he had his career breakthrough with a run to the 2022 semis. He owns a massive forehand and will get plenty of support from Hispanic fans.
Why Zverev? He has defeated Cerundolo in their last three meetings, all on hard surfaces, including this year in the Australian Open round of 16 (6-2, 6-4, 6-4). Zverev hasn’t dropped a set in his three matches this week, but did need four tiebreak wins, including a pair Wednesday night against qualifier Frenchman Quentin Halys.
| Francisco Cerundolo | Alexander Zverev | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank: | 19 | 3 |
| Seed: | 18 | 3 |
| Country: | Argentina | Germany |
| Age: | 27 | 28 |
| Career Titles: | 4 | 24 (3 Grand Slam finals) |
| 2026 Titles: | 1 (Buenos Aires) | 0 |
| Year-to-date-record: | 15-4 | 22-10 (2018 Miami final) |
| Miami Open record: | 15-5 | 21-6 |
| Career Ernings: | $9,529,068 | $60,969,344 |
Head-to-head: 3-3 (Zverev 3-0 on hard, including 2026 Australian Open)
