The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 U.S. Open men’s semifinalsNEW YORK — Alexander Zverev has another shot at a Grand Slam title.In front of a chatty crowd, the 29-year-old German clinched his third straight appearance in a major final Friday at the U.S. Open. Zverev dispatched world No. 50 Karen Khachanov with a straightforward, 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) win.That feat puts him in illustrious company. Only six other men — the usual suspects — have played at least three consecutive major finals this century: Roger Federer (who made 10 in a row), Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.Zverev now has the chance to win the second Grand Slam title of his career and also of this year, after he won the French Open trophy by beating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli. It is his second time in the U.S. Open final; in 2020, he lost to Dominic Thiem from two sets up in front of a near-empty stadium due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Zverev initially moved through the draw in onerous fashion in New York. In total, he has spent more than 19 hours on court, most of those hours logged during two five-set matches in the opening two rounds, which finished past 2 a.m. in front of sparse, late-night crowds.Zverev played in the day session for the first time against Khachanov, a former top-10 player. The Russian had two previous major semifinals on his CV before this one, at the 2022 U.S. Open and 2023 Australian Open, but since reaching the French Open quarterfinals in 2023 he’s mostly struggled at the Grand Slams. He couldn’t match Zverev’s consistent power Friday, played into the German’s elite backhand too often and was too often hesitant when he needed to go for his shots.Zverev merely had to hold steady and wait for his chance.He’s proven adept at taking advantage of the opportunities the game affords him. With generational frontrunners Alcaraz and Sinner injured at various points during this season, it has been Zverev who has consistently stepped up and made the most of their absences.He enters Sunday’s holding comfortable win-loss records against both of his potential opponents — Ben Shelton has never beaten him in five tries, and he has a 9-1 mark against Frances Tiafoe. But Sunday could be different. He has never faced either player as they’ve tried to end a 23-year Grand Slam singles trophy drought for American men.Sep 11, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms
