Top seed Alexander Zverev narrowly avoided a shock exit at the US Open, battling through another exhausting five-set encounter to reach the third round. The German, who reached his first Grand Slam final in New York in 2020, eventually overcame Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-7 (3-7), 6-3. The match concluded at 02:15 local time after four hours and 33 minutes of play on a humid evening.
Zverev, the French Open champion, has struggled for consistency early in the tournament. He became the first top seed in the Open era to play two five-set matches in the opening two rounds of a major. Following his victory over Lorenzo Sonego, which saw him stay up until 5 a.m. for recovery, Zverev admitted his frustration with his current form. “I hope at some point I’ll start playing better,” he said. “It’s great to be announced as the top seed on this court until you almost lose every time.”
The draw has opened up significantly for Zverev, who remains the only top-20 player in his quarter. He is set to face 25th seed Alejandro Tabilo next, a player he has never lost to. Potential obstacles have already fallen; 13th seed Lorenzo Musetti was defeated by Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny, while sixth seed Alex de Minaur was knocked out by Botic van de Zandschulp. With world number one Jannik Sinner absent due to injury and Carlos Alcaraz still regaining fitness, Zverev remains a primary contender, though he could only meet the Spaniard in the final.
While Zverev advanced, the men’s draw saw a major casualty as third seed Felix Auger-Aliassime was eliminated by Karen Khachanov. The Canadian, a two-time US Open semi-finalist, fell 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Auger-Aliassime revealed he began feeling unwell early in the contest. “After a set and a half, I just couldn’t feel well and was dizzy and seeing spots and couldn’t recover,” he explained. “I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn’t. This was abnormal a little bit, and there were no signs in the last couple of days and no signs this morning, as well.”
The tournament also marked the end of an era for Gael Monfils, whose Grand Slam career concluded with a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 loss to 14th seed Learner Tien. The popular Frenchman, who is retiring at the end of the season, confirmed he is transitioning into a new career path. “I already sign to work in wealth management in a Swiss company,” Monfils said. “So my next chapter is working in office and working in finance. I will always have a look on tennis, because I love the sport. My wife’s playing.”
The current men’s field features few players with major-winning experience. Aside from Zverev, Alcaraz, and 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, only three remaining players have ever lifted a Grand Slam trophy. Other contenders, such as fifth seed Taylor Fritz and French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli, continue to navigate the draw, while two-time major finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas has also faced recent struggles with form. The report also notes that however, the German was taken to five sets in his first match and his level fluctuated wildly against world number 52 Halys on a humid evening in New York. The report also notes that the 29-year-old is the first top seed in the Open era to play two five-set matches in the first two rounds of a major. The report also notes that zverev’s side of the draw opened up even further on Thursday – but it remains to be seen if the Wimbledon runner-up has the form to take advantage. The report also notes that however, the 13th seed is out after struggling physically in a 3-6 6-1 6-2 6-2 loss to Australian wildcard Dane Sweeny. The report also notes that the 26-year-old said he had started to feel unwell early on against Khachanov. The report also notes that but in a normal way, i’ve felt tired towards the end of matches.
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