Alexander Zverev Advances to Third Consecutive Grand Slam Final
Alexander Zverev marched into a third straight Grand Slam final with the conviction of a man who now expects these stages, not just dreams of them.
The top seed subdued Karen Khachanov 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6) at the US Open, a straight-sets scoreline that only hints at the tension threaded through a night when Zverev’s big-match poise kept dragging him clear of danger.
A favourite who finally plays like one
For years, Zverev carried the label. Potential. Contender. Future major champion. This season, he has ripped that tag off and replaced it with something far more blunt: winner.
The French Open title in June ended his long wait for a Slam. Wimbledon brought another final, where he pushed world number one Jannik Sinner to four sets. Now New York, where he arrived as the man to beat once Sinner and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz saw their seasons disrupted by injury.
He did not start like a dominant favourite. Twice in the opening rounds he had to survive five-set marathons, stumbling and scraping through. Even he laughed at it.
“After the second round, at about 3am I was sitting with my team in the locker room and we were laughing at how bad I was playing,” he said. “That sense of humour helped me. I obviously have improved a bit otherwise I would not be in the US Open final.”
He has not dropped a set since.
Statement start, steel in the middle
Against world number 50 Khachanov, Zverev opened like a player intent on getting off court quickly. He won 13 of 15 points behind his first serve in the opening set and all nine points at the net. The break came at 4-3, a clean strike to go 5-3 up, and the set was sealed without fuss.
Khachanov, though, is too seasoned to fold. Early in the second set he fell behind again, but he dug in, began to land heavier blows from the back of the court and clawed his way back to level terms. The rallies stretched. The ball marks on the baseline grew darker.
The Russian forced a tie-break and, facing set point, produced one of the shots of the night: a magnificent backhand to finish off a 22-shot exchange, a full-blooded strike that drew a roar from the crowd and briefly swung the momentum his way.
Then came the pivot.
On the next crucial passage, it was Zverev who stepped in, who took the ball early, who refused to retreat. He earned another set point, then outlasted Khachanov in a draining rally, defending superbly from the baseline until the Russian cracked. Two sets on the board, and a match that had been balanced on a knife edge suddenly tilted heavily towards the top seed.
Tie-break tension, champion’s response
The third set became a serving duel. No breaks. Not even a single break point for either man. Both held with authority, both trusted their first deliveries, both knew the margin for error had vanished.
In the tie-break, Khachanov struck first. He settled quicker, surged ahead, and earned two set points. The match threatened to stretch into a fourth set, and with it, fresh doubt.
Zverev shut the door.
He saved both set points with the kind of clarity that has too often deserted him at this level, then seized control. From there he did not blink. The final point summed up Khachanov’s night: a forehand driven just long, a brave performance ending with a small, decisive misfire.
Zverev’s reaction was immediate. Arms spread wide, he turned to his coaching team, soaking in the moment of a sixth major final reached, a second at Flushing Meadows after the heartbreak of 2020, when Dominic Thiem clawed back from two sets down to beat him in five.
This time, he returns as a different player, a different presence.
New York, and a new version of Zverev
Zverev has now reached all four Grand Slam semi-finals this season, a level of week-to-week consistency that once eluded him. The wild swings, the early exits, the unraveling under pressure – they have given way to something steadier, colder, more ruthless.
Next comes Sunday and a final against an American: either eighth seed Ben Shelton or 11th seed Frances Tiafoe, who meet in Friday’s night session and will have the crowd at their backs.
“I think it will be incredibly special, especially, these two guys are crowd favourites and everyone loves them,” Zverev said. “Tonight will be an epic semi-final and I am looking forward to watching it. Hopefully I can not make their American dream come true.”
New York loves a homegrown story. This year, though, the man standing in the way has already turned one long-running narrative on its head. Now the question is simple: can anyone stop Alexander Zverev from owning this season’s biggest stages?
