No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev outlasts Karen Khachanov to book place in US Open final

Zverev Survives Khachanov Challenge to Reach US Open Final

Healfromzero.com – Alexander Zverev is headed back to the US Open championship match after overcoming a determined Karen Khachanov in a three-set semifinal that was far closer than the final score initially suggests. The tournament’s top seed defeated the unseeded Russian 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 29-year-old German will make his second career appearance in the final at Flushing Meadows, where he will try to erase the memory of his 2020 defeat in the title match. Sunday’s final will also mark Zverev’s third consecutive grand slam final, following his maiden major title at Roland Garros in early June.

A Fast Start, Then a Lengthy Test

Zverev began with authority, taking the opening set 6-3 as Khachanov struggled to contain his errors. The Russian produced nearly twice as many unforced mistakes as his opponent during the first set, allowing Zverev to establish an early advantage without facing sustained pressure.

Khachanov, however, refused to let the match become routine. The 30-year-old steadied his game in the second set, matched Zverev through the baseline exchanges and forced a tiebreak. Zverev eventually held his nerve to claim it 7-6 (7), but the margin showed how sharply the contest had changed after the opening set.

The third set followed a similar pattern. Neither player could create enough separation to avoid another tense finish, with service holds and traded games keeping the outcome uncertain. Zverev led 6-5 and had an opportunity to close the match before a tiebreak, but the set instead moved into another deciding sequence.

During that late stretch, Zverev approached the chair umpire to raise concerns about sunlight reflecting from the suite doors. The complaint was met with frustration from the crowd, and he then lost the following game. The apparent glare continued to trouble him as the final-set tiebreak opened, with Khachanov quickly moving ahead 4-1.

Yet Zverev recovered when the pressure was greatest. He clawed his way back to level terms at 6-6, saved two set points and then converted match point to finish the semifinal in straight sets. The scoreline recorded a three-set victory, but Khachanov’s resistance ensured that every set demanded composure from the No. 1 seed.

A Chance to Rewrite His New York Story

The win gives Zverev another opportunity to claim the title that slipped away six years ago. His 2020 US Open final remains a significant part of his history at the event, and a victory on Sunday would add a second grand slam trophy to the Roland Garros crown he won earlier this year.

Zverev will face either Ben Shelton or Frances Tiafoe, two American players whose semifinal will carry substantial home support in New York. He acknowledged that the atmosphere could be heavily tilted toward his eventual opponent.

“I think its going to be incredibly special,” Zverev told ESPN. “Especially these two guys, Frances and Ben, crowd favorites here in New York. Everybody loves them. … Hopefully I can not make the American dream.”

For Zverev, the final presents a test beyond the tennis itself. Arthur Ashe Stadium has a reputation for embracing players who connect with the New York crowd, and both Shelton and Tiafoe enter their semifinal with the chance to produce a landmark moment for American men’s tennis.

Shelton and Tiafoe Set for Historic Semifinal

The second semifinal will feature two Americans competing for their first grand slam final berth. Shelton, seeded eighth, meets 11th-seeded Tiafoe in a match with significance extending far beyond a place opposite Zverev on Sunday.

Whichever player advances will become the first American man to reach the US Open final since Taylor Fritz did so in 2024. The winner could also end a much longer wait: no American man has won the tournament since Andy Roddick captured the title in 2003.

The matchup also represents a historic breakthrough for Black American players in the sport. It is the first time two Black American men have met in a US Open men’s singles semifinal. Regardless of the result, one Black American man will reach the final for the first time since Arthur Ashe’s final appearance at the tournament in 1972.

That history gives the evening session a deeper resonance. Ashe remains a defining figure in American tennis, both for his accomplishments and for the barriers he broke, and the prospect of Shelton or Tiafoe advancing creates a direct connection between the tournament’s past and its present.

Sunday’s men’s final is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET. Zverev arrives with the experience of previous major finals and the confidence of a recent grand slam champion. His opponent will arrive carrying either Shelton’s or Tiafoe’s pursuit of a first major final and the powerful support of a home crowd eager to see an American complete the run.