Dramatic Comeback
Alexander Zverev narrowly avoided a historic first-round exit at the US Open, defeating Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4 in a match that concluded in the early hours of Wednesday morning. The German, seeded No. 1, was on the brink of becoming the first top-seeded man to lose his opening match at a Grand Slam since Lleyton Hewitt fell to Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon in 2003. At the US Open, such an upset had not occurred since Stefan Edberg lost to Alexander Volkov in 1990.[S1][S3]
Zverev struggled to convert break opportunities throughout the night, finishing just 5 for 22 on break points. Sonego's court speed and clutch serving kept him competitive, but Zverev finally broke through late in the fourth set to force a decider. The match lasted 4 hours, 52 minutes, which Zverev called the longest first-round match of his career.[S1]
Road to the Top Seed
Zverev arrived at the US Open as the top seed for the first time in a major after Jannik Sinner withdrew with a right knee injury. Earlier this year, Zverev won his first major title at the French Open and reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Sinner. His record against Sonego now stands at 7-0, with the Italian having come into the match with a 1-9 record against top-10 opponents in Grand Slams.[S1][S3]
Looking Ahead
Zverev advanced to face Quentin Halys in the second round. Despite the grueling effort, the 2020 US Open runner-up expressed satisfaction with the battle, saying he had struggled in his previous two tournaments and hoped this hard-fought victory would spark better form. He credited Sonego for playing amazing tennis, noting that the Italian would have beaten many players on another night.[S1][S3]
