New York, September 12 (TNA) World No. 1 Alexander Zverev secured his place in the 2026 US Open men’s singles final on Friday, defeating Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in a hard-fought semi-final at Flushing Meadows.
The 29-year-old German, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this year, will now play for his second major of the season and sixth career Grand Slam final overall. Zverev becomes the only Grand Slam champion left in the draw, with his final opponent to be decided from the all-American semi-final between eighth seed Ben Shelton and 11th seed Frances Tiafoe.
Zverev holds nerve in two tie-breaks
Zverev started strongly, breaking Khachanov’s serve in the eighth game of the opening set before closing it out 6-3. The Russian, ranked 50th in the world, raised his level in the second set, saving multiple break points and pushing the match into a tie-break.
In a tense second-set tie-break, Khachanov saved Zverev’s first two set points, but the top seed eventually prevailed 9-7 after winning a remarkable 34-shot rally, according to match reports. The third set followed a similar pattern, with Khachanov again taking Zverev to a tie-break and even leading 4-1 with two set points.
Zverev, however, saved both set points from 4-6 down and clinched the tie-break 8-6, sealing a straight-sets victory in two hours and 58 minutes. The win extends his current US Open run to 12 consecutive sets won across his past four matches, underlining his dominance in the second week.
Return to US Open final after six years
The victory marks Zverev’s return to the US Open final for the first time since 2020, when he lost a five-set thriller to Dominic Thiem in the championship match. Six years on, he has earned another shot at the title in New York, having also finished as runner-up at Wimbledon earlier in 2026.
With this win, Zverev has now reached all four Grand Slam semi-finals in a single season for the first time in his career, and is 24-2 at the majors in 2026 according to ATP statistics. He is also chasing a rare hat-trick of major finals in one calendar year, having already appeared in the Roland Garros and Wimbledon title matches this season.
Khachanov falls short in first major final bid
For Khachanov, the defeat ends his best Grand Slam campaign to date. The 30-year-old Russian, a former US Open semi-finalist in 2022, was unable to convert his chances in the crucial moments and fell to 3-7 in his career head-to-head against Zverev, who also beat him in the Tokyo Olympic final.
Despite losing in straight sets, Khachanov won more points than Zverev in the second set and led the third-set tie-break before the German’s late surge. His aggressive forehand game troubled the top seed at times, but unforced errors at key junctures proved costly.
Final set for Sunday
The US Open men’s singles final is scheduled for Sunday, September 13, 2026, at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Zverev will face either Shelton or Tiafoe, both of whom are yet to reach a Grand Slam final despite previous US Open semi-final appearances. Whoever emerges from the all-American clash will be chasing a first major title, while Zverev looks to cement his 2026 season as one of the most successful of his career by adding a second Grand Slam crown.