Top seed Alexander Zverev cruises into US Open final…
It is Alexander Zverev against America.
The No. 1 seed in the U.S. Open is one win from claiming his second Grand Slam title of the yr — and of his profession — after ousting unseeded Karen Khachanov, 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6), in Friday’s semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Zverev will face the winner of No. 8 Ben Shelton and No. 11 Frances Tiafoe, getting into Sunday’s final as a street favourite and a roadblock to the first American males’s Grand Slam champion in 23 years (Andy Roddick) and the first black males’s U.S. Open title winner since 1968 (Arthur Ashe).
Zverev is 5-0 all-time against Shelton, successful the past 10 units they’ve performed. Zverev is 9-1 in his profession against Tiafoe — only shedding to the Maryland native in 2017 — successful each of their 4 Grand Slam encounters.
Alexander Zverev returns a volley against Karen Khachanov on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. The match was for the semi-final of the 2026 US Open. Jason Szenes for New York Post
Zverev, who’s 1-4 all-time in Grand Slam finals, was two factors away from defeating Dominic Thiem to win the COVID-impacted 2020 U.S. Open, however the German instead grew to become the first Open Era finalist in Queens to win the first two units, then lose the match.
Zverev was pushed to 5 units in his first two matches — he entered the semifinals having spent more time on court docket than any participant since no less than 1991 — however he has now received 4 consecutive matches in straight units, overcoming a pair of set factors in the final tiebreaker of Friday’s victory.After eliminating Khachanov — who was making his second U.S. Open semifinal look and searching for to develop into the lowest-ranked Grand Slam finalist in twenty years — Zverev will lastly face a top-20 participant for the first time in this tournament, which has featured the latest in his collection of soppy attracts.At the 2020 U.S. Open, Zverev didn’t face a participant inside the top-20 until shedding in the finals. En path to his first finals look at Wimbledon this yr, the 29-year-old confronted only one top-12 participant.
Alexander Zverev reacts as he performs against Karen Khachanov on Friday, September 11, 2026, in Arthur Ashe Stadium at The Billie Jean King Tennis Center. The match was for the semi-final of the 2026 US Open. Jason Szenes for New York Post
And when he grew to become the first participant in the past 4 years to win a Grand Slam apart from the sport’s three largest stars (Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic) at this yr’s French Open, Zverev didn’t face a top-25 seed until defeating No. 10 Flavio Cobolli, a first-time Grand Slam finalist.
After Sinner’s pre-tournament injury, Djokovic’s physique breaking down, Alcaraz’s 3:33 a.m. exit and a slew of upsets, the No. 1 seed is all that stands in the manner of one in every of the best days in American tennis.
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