Alexander Zverev Advances to US Open Semi-Finals

Top seed Alexander Zverev secured his place in the US Open semi-finals with a straight-sets victory over Botic van de Zandschulp at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The win marks the first time in the 29-year-old German’s career that he has reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slam tournaments within a single calendar year.

A late night and a dominant victory

Zverev defeated his Dutch opponent 6-2 7-5 6-1 during a night session in New York. The win came after Zverev stayed awake until 3:30 a.m. to watch Ben Shelton eliminate defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a quarter-final match that concluded at 3:34 a.m. local time on Wednesday, setting a record for the latest finish in US Open history. Zverev explained that he compensated for the late bedtime by sleeping in until 1:00 p.m. Late finishes have been common for Zverev at this tournament, as his first three matches ended at 1:55 a.m., 2:15 a.m., and 1:09 a.m.

Record-breaking season and early struggles

Although Zverev entered the tournament as the top seed and favorite following Alcaraz’s exit, his progress required significant resilience. He was pushed to five sets in both his first and second-round matches and has lost 80 games overall in the tournament. This represents the second-highest number of games conceded by a top seed reaching the US Open semi-finals, behind Rafael Nadal’s 85 games lost in 2018.

Despite those early challenges, Zverev’s win against Van de Zandschulp brought his total Grand Slam singles victories in 2026 to 23. That figure breaks the record for the most major singles wins by a German male player in a single season, surpassing the previous record of 22 set by Boris Becker in 1989. Zverev won his maiden major title at the French Open earlier this season and subsequently reached the final at Wimbledon.

Semi-final matchup against Khachanov

In the semi-finals, Zverev will face Russian player Karen Khachanov. The 30-year-old Khachanov advanced to his first Grand Slam semi-final since the 2023 Australian Open after his quarter-final opponent, Alexander Blockx, was forced to retire due to physical issues. Khachanov led 6-2 7-5 3-2 when the 21-year-old Belgian retired.

Blockx, who was competing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final, received treatment during the match for a foot blister before suffering from back and rib pain. He later stated that his body had given up and that he decided to stop to avoid aggravating his injuries and missing the rest of the season. Blockx had also contemplated retiring during his fourth-round win over Francisco Cerundolo due to a rib issue.

Khachanov, a former world number eight who has dropped to 50th in the rankings, is unseeded at a Grand Slam for the first time since 2018. Zverev praised Khachanov’s detailed knowledge of the sport, noting that players nicknamed him “The Professor” because of his deep understanding of equipment and player tendencies. Khachanov noted that he would need his best form to challenge Zverev, pointing to the top seed’s consistent performance across major tournaments this year.

Background

Alexander Zverev reached his first Grand Slam final at the 2020 US Open, finishing as runner-up. He earned his first Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier in 2026 before reaching the final at Wimbledon later that summer.