Alexander Zverev reaches US Open final, beats Karen Khachanov
What's the story
Alexander Zverev has reached the final of the US Open 2026 after defeating Karen Khachanov in straight sets. The German tennis star won the semi-final match with a scoreline of 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6). This victory puts him in contention for his second Grand Slam title, having previously won his first at this year's French Open. He finished as the runner-up in this year's Wimbledon.
Path to victory
Zverev's journey to the final
Zverev's road to the final wasn't easy.
He was pushed to five sets in both his first- and second-round matches by Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys, respectively.
These two matches alone took up nearly nine and a half hours of his time on court.
Despite these challenges, Zverev managed to turn things around as the tournament progressed, eventually reaching the final match against either Ben Shelton or Frances Tiafoe.
Previous encounters
A chance at redemption for Zverev
Zverev's previous experience at the US Open adds more weight to this final.
In 2020, he was on the verge of winning his first Grand Slam title after taking a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the final.
However, Thiem made an incredible comeback and won in a fifth-set tiebreak, becoming the first man since 1949 to win the US Open after losing the opening two sets.
Post-match remarks
Zverev hopes to end America's Grand Slam drought
Reflecting on his 2020 final loss, Zverev said, "I was so close so many times, and maybe this year God has said that this is going to be your year and just enjoy the time on the court."
He also expressed hope that he could end America's wait for a men's Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick's US Open win in 2003.
Match highlights
Khachanov's fairytale run ends in semi-finals
In the semi-final match against Khachanov, Zverev showed his dominance by winning straight sets.
He kept his composure after taking an early lead and closed out the contest without dropping a set.
The win also marked his 13th consecutive set won in this tournament.
Khachanov, who entered as the No. 50-ranked player, had been on an unexpected run to reach this stage but couldn't overcome Zverev's challenge.
Stats
Here are the match stats
Coming to the stats, Zverev recorded as many as 15 aces while Khachanov managed six.
The German star had a win percentage of 75 on his first serve and 72 on his second.
He also committed six double-faults while securing two of his three break points.
Zverev overall finished the game with 107 points, just three more than Khachanov's tally.
Opta
Zverev accomplishes these feats
At 29 years 123 days, Zverev became the second-oldest player to reach Grand Slam finals on three surfaces in a season, as per Opta.
The German is the oldest player to achieve the feat for the first time.
Since 1973, Zverev (Roland Garros, US Open) became just the second player to reach multiple Grand Slam finals in a season without facing an ATP top 20 player en route, after Roger Federer in 2008.