Alexander Zverev reached the US Open semi-finals for the first time after defeating Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets. The German top seed defeated the Dutchman 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 during the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium. With the win, Zverev also completed a significant milestone, qualifying for all four Grand Slam tournaments in the same year for the first time.
Interestingly, after the game, Zverev shared his match preparation, which included Ben Shelton beating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a quarter-final. The match finished at 3:34 am local time on Wednesday, which became the latest-finishing match in US Open history.
“I watched Shelton-Alcaraz until 3.30 am last night. I did not go to bed, I was up late, I was watching TV because I was sleeping in until 1 pm anyway,” Zverev said after the game.
The 29-year-old has become familiar with late finishes during his New York campaign. His first three matches ended at 1:55 am, 2:15 am and 1:09 am respectively.
Zverev plays Karen Khachanov in semis
Zverev will now meet Karen Khachanov for a place in the final. The Russian progressed when Alexander Blockx retired while trailing 6-2, 7-5, 3-2.
Meanwhile, the German arrived at the latter stages after a challenging opening to the tournament. He was pushed to five sets in each of his first two matches, but his performances have improved as the competition has progressed.
“I think you saw in the first two rounds, I really didn't play well. In other tournaments I would be out in the first round, but here I can fight back and play best of five sets, play four-and-a-half hours. I've started playing better throughout the tournament and I'm definitely happy to be in the semi-finals here,” Zverev said.
Now, with Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic eliminated and Jannik Sinner missing the tournament owing to an injury, the path is clear for Zverev to push for his second Grand Slam title. Notably, he has also won 23 Grand Slam singles matches during 2026 and set a new record for a German man in one season. He surpassed Boris Becker’s previous mark of 22, established in 1989.
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