Marcos Giron has produced a strong start to the season at 32, emerging as one of the contenders at the ATP Challenger 175 event in Phoenix. The American opened the year with back-to-back ATP semifinals in Hong Kong and Auckland and has pushed most opponents to the limit even in defeat.

“I do think this is the best tennis I’ve been playing of my life, this first quarter,” he says. “Lost a couple tough ones in February and one against [Jakub] Mensik [in Indian Wells] last week. You’re only as good as your next point, really.”

Giron was edged by eventual quarterfinalist Learner Tien in a fifth set at the Australian Open. Three of his other narrow losses came against Top 15 players. Alexander Bublik rallied from a set down to advance in Hong Kong. Taylor Fritz prevailed in a final-set tiebreak at the Dallas Open, and Casper Ruud held on in Delray Beach after facing two points from defeat. At the BNP Paribas Open, 12th-ranked Jakub Mensik beat Giron 7-5, 7-6 (1).

“The margins are so small. Fritz is 6-foot-5 and has one of the best serves in the world. Mensik serves great. A few of them, I lost a couple of ‘breakers where it’s like, ‘Too bad.’ But they’ll also turn and go my way. I’m playing great tennis,” believes Giron.

At the Phoenix Challenger he produced a dramatic win, saving four match points to beat University of Arizona standout Jay Friend, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9). He now faces two-time Arizona Tennis Classic champion Nuno Borges as he tries to extend his run in his debut at the 175 level.

Says Giron of being Vuori’s OG on the ATP Tour since debuting the partnership in 2023, “Their clothing and what they stand for as a company is amazing. To help bring them into the tour is cool for me. Their designs are awesome.”

Two hip surgeries early in his career are a distant footnote. Giron has been ranked inside the Top 100 every week since Aug. 31, 2020. The 2014 NCAA champion peaked at No. 37 in August 2024 shortly after his first ATP title at Newport. “There’s a lot of losses and it’s easy to get down on yourself. I’m fortunate that I’ve got the disposition that I feel like good things are gonna come. I’m proud to keep pushing and working at it,” he reflects.

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After a run of defeats early in their rivalry, Jannik Sinner has turned the tide. After losing four straight matches to Zverev, Sinner has won the last five. The pair’s most vivid recent memory is their Australian Open final from last year, when the Italian beat the German in straight sets.

That result clearly lingered for Zverev. The loss punctured his confidence and led to a difficult 2025. Fourteen months later he appears to be finding his form again and cited tighter contests between the two as a reason for optimism. “I think we had quite tight matches,” he said. “Even the last few were very tight. Of course it’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to.”

Zverev will draw encouragement from a close indoor final in Vienna last fall. He took the first set 6-3 and remained level through to 5-5 in the third before Sinner produced a decisive winner. “It took an especially brilliant down-the line backhand from Sinner, which skidded off the sideline, to lift him to victory.”

This season Zverev’s revival has shown in several spots. He was only a few points from beating Carlos Alcaraz in Australia to reach the final, and at Indian Wells he has posted wins over Francis Tiafoe and Arthur Fils. Reflecting on his last match he said, “I think I played quicker today than the last couple of matches,” Zverev said after beating Fils. “I think I took the time away and the ability for him to be extremely aggressive. I took that away from him, and when I’m able to do that, I think it’s quite helpful for me.”

Sinner is fully aware of the challenge ahead. “I have to very careful,” he said of this semifinal. “I watch couple of matches. He’s playing great tennis. So trying to, yeah, to bring the best possible tennis I can.”

Photo: © 2025 Shi Tang

At the BNP Paribas Open, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz produced contrasting highlights during quarterfinal play, each moving one victory from their first meeting of 2026. Alcaraz arrived having beaten Sinner in the semifinal en route to his 2023 and 2024 titles here.

Sinner opened his day in the hot afternoon session, cruising past Learner Tien. After a midday practice and signing autographs, Jannik headed back inside. After closing out Tien, Sinner looked at his box and broke into a massive smile. That mood carried through when he later faced 2021 champion Cameron Norrie, a match the world No. 1 handled decisively.

Between court sessions Sinner spent time with media, visiting the Tennis Channel set for a chat with Prakash Amritraj.

Alcaraz staged his preparation in the evening, taking advantage of the golden hour for a solo practice. After wrapping with some serves, the 22-year-old instructed brother/coach Alvaro to help hand out signed souvenirs. The Spanish player had reason to be pleased: his victory extended a perfect 2026 start to 16-0.

Both players showed the combination of on-court authority and off-court engagement that has defined their runs at this event. Sinner mixed controlled aggression with a relaxed presence that included autograph sessions and visible delight in the stands. Alcaraz balanced focused practice with moments of interaction organized by his team.

With the semifinals complete, the path now points to a potential Sinner-Alcaraz showdown later in the tournament. Each arrives at that prospect on different rhythms from the same day: one smiling after two strong performances, the other glowing after a polished practice and another unblemished result in 2026.