They really show no mercy at the US Open. One can have played for four hours and 41 minutes; until half past one in the morning when the thermometer still read 27 degrees; with bad air due to a major fire near the tennis facility. Someone could have been on the verge of collapse and then played on for more than two hours and somehow won. It doesn’t matter: If someone has been on the pitch, they will then be taken to reporters and should explain what just happened – and perhaps Alexander Zverev’s greatest achievement that evening is not the success against Jannik Sinner, but that he actually did afterwards could say a few more straight sentences.
There he stood in front of the dressing room, hands and lips trembling with exhaustion. “I was completely exhausted in the fourth set,” he said, but what was he supposed to do? The other one was broken too! Since the middle of the third set, Sinner has been plagued by cramps and knee problems, and he hobbled alarmingly between rallies. He persevered, just as Zverev persevered, and of course older observers had to Thrill in Manilathink that legendary boxing match between Ali and Frazier from 1975.
Sinner and Zverev continued, they fought a playfully mixed but dramatic duel – which was disturbed in the fourth set by a spectator who thought it was a good idea to yell “Germany about everything” before Zverev served, the title the first stanza of the German national anthem, which was misused by the Nazis and has not been used since. The man was subtracted from the stadium, Zverev said afterwards: “I like it when fans go along, the atmosphere was great – but that’s not possible.”
Zverev prevented the duel between Alcaraz and Sinner in the quarterfinals
He said something to the referee, the troublemaker had to go, we went on. That’s how fast it can go, without much fuss. Tennis was interesting enough and what happened to Zverev there. “It’s one of the best moments of my career,” he said afterwards: “That’s what I live for, that’s what I love: half past twelve, full Arthur Ashe Stadium. It couldn’t be better. I can say: I’m back.”
A reference to the nasty injury at the French Open 2022 semi-final against Rafael Nadal, after which he was sidelined for months – but perhaps the win over Sinner needs to be viewed in an even larger context.
Zverev, 26, has won a lot in his career that there is to win in this sport – as long as there were two winning sets: Olympia, two World Championships, five Masters tournaments and twelve other events. What is missing: a Grand Slam tournament and a win against a player who is among the top five in the world rankings at the time of the Grand Slam. His record against such top ten players was 0:11 – before he defeated Carlos Alcaraz, then number six in the world, before his injury at the French Open 2022. Since his comeback, he has lost to Caspar Ruud at the French Open in spring, because of the injury-related task against Nadal, the Grand Slam record against top ten players was 1:13.
But now the success against Sinner, who was even traded as a candidate for tournament victory. “I think people were talking about two duels before the tournament: Alcaraz against Djokovic in the final, and Alcaraz against Sinner before that in the quarterfinals,” said Zverev. Lips trembled as he said this, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly. You could tell how much it meant to him not only to have played better than Sinner, but also to have done what they call “outlast” here in New York. There is no accurate translation of that Thrill in Manila is the best example: Ali wanted to retire, but got up for the last round – and saw Frazier resign.
Can he win against Alcaraz? Zverev just says “yes”
Zverev, although he was completely exhausted at the beginning of the fourth set, was the fitter and stronger player at the end. 15:30 was the last service game: A few years ago there was a version of Zverev that would have served two double faults at that moment. The version in summer 2023: Ace, finely played volley point, another cracking serve. He dealt with everything that evening had in store for him.
Zverev is not allowed to really celebrate, that’s the common dogma at the US Open, but has to prepare for the next game in less than 48 hours. Zverev prevented the Alcaraz-Sinner duel in the quarter-finals, which of course means: He has to play against Alcaraz himself, the defending champion and world number one and, due to his performance so far, the clear favorite in this game.
Good for Zverev: He believes that he can win his first Grand Slam tournament against a top five player (when asked about it, he just said: “Yes!”). Not so good for him: If Alcaraz is known for one thing, it’s for being about as merciful with opponents as the organizers of the US Open are with the players at two in the morning after a marathon match.