Alexander Zverev reaches U.S. Open final and awaits Shelton-Tiafoe winner

Alexander Zverev will play for his second Grand Slam title this yr after beating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) on Friday (September 11, 2026) within the U.S. Open semifinals.

Zverev will play on Sunday towards No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or No. 11 Frances Tiafoe, who play afterward Friday for the correct to provide the U.S. a person in Sunday’s ultimate. Each have been semifinalists in Flushing Meadows however neither has reached a serious ultimate.

The U.S. continues to be searching for its first males’s Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick received in New York in 2003.

“Hopefully I cannot make the American dream come true on Sunday,” Zverev mentioned.

Zverev lastly broke by way of on the French Open this yr and adopted by reaching the Wimbledon ultimate, the place he misplaced to Jannik Sinner. The German is 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this season.

“Typically simply issues go your approach and I really feel like I’ve had a variety of struggles on the main stage, I used to be so shut so many occasions, and perhaps this yr God has mentioned that that is going to be your yr and simply benefit from the time on the court docket,” Zverev mentioned.

Now he’ll attempt to win the title that he nonetheless cannot imagine he let get away in 2020. Zverev received the primary two units towards Dominic Thiem however then misplaced in a fifth-set tiebreaker, as Thiem grew to become the primary man to win the U.S. Open title after dropping the primary two units since 1949.

Zverev was stable after going up two units this time, and has received 13 consecutive units after changing into the primary No. 1-seeded man to play five-setters in every of the primary two rounds of a serious.

Khachanov was attempting to achieve his first main ultimate after a shocking run in New York. He arrived with a shedding document for the season however went on to achieve his third Grand Slam semifinal, together with second on the U.S. Open.

He began taking part in higher after dropping the primary set after which falling behind 2-0 within the second. He lastly broke Zverev’s serve to tie it and it stayed even till they went to the tiebreaker. The Russian erased Zverev’s first two set factors in it earlier than Zverev completed it off by successful a 34-shot rally.

Khachanov then had leads of 3-0 and 5-2 within the third-set tiebreaker earlier than Zverev battled again.