Alexander Zverev has reached his third Grand Slam final in a row by defeating Karen Khachanov in the semifinals of the US Open. The top seed's victory continues his strong season, which saw him win his first major title at the French Open in June and reach the Wimbledon final in July.
Zverev secured his spot in the New York final with a convincing performance, winning 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) against the Russian world number 50. He will face either American eighth seed Ben Shelton or 11th seed Frances Tiafoe in Sunday's final.
"I think it will be incredibly special, especially, these guys are crowd favorites and everyone loves them," Zverev said of his potential opponents. "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."
Despite a slow start to the tournament, where he was taken to five sets in his opening two matches, Zverev has not dropped a set since. He acknowledged a moment of self-doubt after his early matches, stating, "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. That sense of humour helped me. I obviously have improved a bit otherwise I would not be in the US Open final."
During the semifinal match against Khachanov, Zverev demonstrated significant control, particularly on his serve, winning 13 out of 15 points behind his first serve in the opening set. He also maintained dominance at the net, winning all nine points played there in the first set to secure an early break and take the lead.
Khachanov mounted a challenge in the second set, breaking Zverev's serve and forcing a tie-break. He saved a set point with a skillful backhand during a lengthy rally. However, Zverev regained the initiative, creating another set point with strong defense from the baseline and ultimately winning the tie-break.
The third set remained on serve for both players, with neither facing a break point until a tie-break was again required. Khachanov initially led in the tie-break, earning two set points, but Zverev saved both. He then took control of the tie-break, clinching the match when Khachanov's forehand went long.
This victory marks Zverev's second appearance in the US Open final, having previously reached the championship match in 2020, where he lost a close five-set contest to Dominic Thiem. His consistent performance throughout the year, reaching the semifinals of all four Grand Slams, has been notable, especially with other top players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz experiencing injuries.