Alexander Zverev Reaches US Open Semi-Final After Epic Win
Alexander Zverev grinds his way into another US Open semi-final – and into the history books.
The German overpowered Botic van de Zandschulp 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 in New York, booking a last-four clash with Karen Khachanov and completing a rare Grand Slam feat in the process.
Zverev’s marathon year hits another peak
This is Zverev’s third semi-final at Flushing Meadows and his 13th at Grand Slam level, but the numbers behind this run tell a tougher story than the straight-sets scoreline suggests.
Across this US Open, he has spent 16 hours and 40 minutes on court – more than any man to reach the semi-finals in New York since 1991. Two five-set battles to open his campaign left him with heavy legs and questions about how deep he could realistically go.
He has answered them emphatically.
Zverev is now the only player this season to reach the semi-finals at all four majors. The 2020 US Open finalist is back on the same stage, but this time with a full year of deep Slam runs behind him and a body tested to the limit.
Shaky start, ruthless finish
It did not begin smoothly against van de Zandschulp. Zverev sprayed five double faults early on, his serve twitchy and uncertain under the New York lights. Yet the pressure came from his racquet, not his nerves.
He broke in the fifth game, tightened his baseline game, and ran away with the first set 6-2.
The second set carried more danger. Van de Zandschulp finally settled, began to dictate with his forehand and pushed Zverev into longer, more physical exchanges. The Dutchman threatened to level the match, but when the set reached its critical phase, Zverev shut the door.
Three games in a row at the tail end of the set, 7-5, and the air went out of the contest.
From there, Zverev smelled blood. An early break in the third set killed any remaining suspense. His serve steadied, his groundstrokes pinned van de Zandschulp behind the baseline, and the match raced to a 6-1 finish. What began as a nervy, uneven performance ended with the air of a man in complete control.
Khachanov advances as Bloxs breaks down
Waiting for Zverev in the semi-final is Karen Khachanov, whose path on Tuesday could hardly have been more different.
The Russian led Belgian Alexander Bloxs 6-2, 7-5, 3-2 when the match ended in retirement. Bloxs arrived on court already compromised, carrying a rib injury and strapped up almost from head to toe – brace on the right ankle, bandage on the thigh, constant attention from the medical staff.
He fought as long as he could, but the physical toll mounted and the match slipped away. Khachanov did what seasoned professionals do in those situations: he held firm, applied steady pressure, and forced his injured opponent to match his intensity. Bloxs simply could not.
For Khachanov, this is a return to familiar but long-missed territory. He reaches the US Open semi-finals for the first time since 2022 and appears in the last four of a major for the first time since the 2023 Australian Open.
A semi-final with scars on both sides
So the stage is set: Zverev, the ironman of this Slam season, against Khachanov, a powerful baseliner rediscovering his big-stage presence.
One has survived five-set wars and logged more time on court than anyone in the men’s draw at this stage in New York for over three decades. The other arrives with fewer miles in his legs this fortnight, but with the memory of deep major runs and the confidence of a player who knows he belongs in this company.
Zverev’s year has already been defined by endurance. Khachanov’s by the search for another breakthrough.
Only one of them walks out of Arthur Ashe Stadium with a shot at the title.
