Alexander Zverev endured a long battle from his first match at the 2026 US Open.
Judging only by the result—advancing past the first round—it may look routine, but the match lasted nearly five hours.
What stands out from this match is not simply his progress to the next round, but how he recovered from wavering form to take the final set.
3-Line Summary
1. Zverev advanced through the first round of the US Open
2. The match against Sonego lasted 4 hours 53 minutes and went five sets
3. The final-set score was 6-4
He came back after dropping two sets to Sonego
German tennis player Alexander Zverev defeated Italian player Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7-9), 7-5, 6-4 in the first round of the US Open in New York, United States. According to a report by Heavy.com, the match was a close contest that lasted 4 hours 53 minutes, continuing until Wednesday morning. In a format that ends when a player wins three of five sets, Zverev turned the match around even after losing the third-set tiebreak.
After taking the first set, he lost the second, then fell behind 7-9 in the third-set tiebreak. At that point, the score was not simply a one-set deficit. If he dropped one more set, he would be eliminated in the tournament’s opening match. However, he closed out the fourth set 7-5 and the final set 6-4.
According to Heavy.com, Zverev said after the match that there was room for improvement, while also describing it as the tough match he needed after the past few weeks. He credited Sonego’s play. In particular, he mentioned that Sonego had kept attacking his second serve and said his opponent had done an excellent job. The fact that the winner’s interview did not become an occasion focused only on his own performance also reflects the intensity of the match.
New York’s first test after his first French Open major title
For Zverev, this tournament is another major stage following his first French Open Grand Slam title. Sports Illustrated and Heavy.com reported that he won the first Grand Slam title of his career at the French Open in June. Long regarded as one of the world’s top players but without a major title, that victory has been presented as an important turning point in his career.
He told JioHotStar that after winning, he wanted more and wanted to remain a contender at the next tournament as well. He also said that he wanted to come to New York and do it again, describing the feeling as regaining his match rhythm. However, this was not a statement confirming a tournament victory, but the player’s own goals and current feeling. The first match showed that each round could be a separate test, rather than indicating that those goals were being realized smoothly.
The first-round victory is a clear result. At the same time, the process that produced it was not early dominance, but a comeback after a crisis. That is why the numbers to look at first in this match are 4 hours 53 minutes and five sets, rather than the tournament seeding or his past title record. His performance in the next match must be assessed separately, but at least the match against Sonego did not end with a single wobble.
The match against Halys is scheduled for the second round
Zverev’s next opponent is French player Quentin Halys. Sports Illustrated reported that he would face Halys in the second round of the US Open on Thursday, while Heavy.com reported that Zverev had beaten Halys twice in 2026. This head-to-head record is useful for reading the upcoming matchup, but it does not replace the physical toll of the first match or the actual result.
The tournament venue was reported as the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. The New York and France mentioned in this article are the locations cited in reports related to the match and the earlier title, respectively. The fact that the search term was observed in Brazil does not mean that Brazil was the actual location of the match or the reports.
Zverev’s partner, German actress, model, and television host Sophia Thomalla, also appeared in related reports. Heavy.com reported that she was at the venue and had ‘liked’ a video post of Zverev’s US Open match. Sports Illustrated and the New York Post reported that Thomalla had finished hosting and filming the reality dating show ‘Are You The One?’, then posted photos of herself touring New York with Zverev before the tournament. However, whether she attended subsequent matches in the stands should be distinguished from the speculation or plans described in the reports.
This first US Open match was one in which Zverev advanced despite facing elimination. Winning the French Open does not guarantee the result at the next major, but the fact remains that he produced a final-set score of 6-4 in the first round. The match against Halys is the next scene that will determine whether that comeback was an escape in one match or the beginning of the tournament’s momentum.
References
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