Alexander Zverev avoided one of the biggest shocks of the 2026 US Open after he beat Lorenzo Sonego in a dramatic first-round match on September 2. The German, who came to New York as the No. 1 seed, needed five sets and almost five hours to get past the Italian player.
The final score was 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4. The match lasted about 4 hours and 53 minutes and ended at 1:55 a.m. in New York. It was a tough night for Zverev, but his win kept his hopes of a second Grand Slam title alive.
Zverev entered the match as the clear favorite. He had won all six of his earlier matches against Sonego. He also came to the US Open with strong confidence after his first Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this year. Still, Sonego showed from the start that he had no fear of the top seed.
Zverev Takes the First Set
The first set went Zverev’s way, but it was not as easy as the score may suggest. The German had several chances to break Sonego’s serve before he finally found a way through.
Zverev took the set 6-4 and looked set for a normal first-round win. Sonego, however, did not lose belief. The Italian changed his approach and began to play with more force and purpose.
His movement around the court caused problems for Zverev. Sonego also moved closer to the net more often and used his first serve well. His stronger play soon changed the direction of the match.
Sonego Turns the Match Around
Sonego took control in the second set. He broke Zverev early and did not allow the German to settle. His serve became more reliable, while his shots from the back of the court put Zverev under constant pressure.
Sonego won the second set 6-3. Suddenly, the match looked very different.
Zverev had entered Arthur Ashe Stadium as the top seed, but he now had a real fight on his hands. His errors began to grow, while Sonego looked more confident with each game.
The third set was even closer. Both players had chances, but neither could gain a clear advantage. The set went to a tie-break, where Sonego held his nerve. He won the tie-break 9-7 and moved ahead by two sets to one.
Zverev Comes Close to Elimination
The fourth set became the key part of the match.
Sonego continued to play brave tennis. He moved well, hit strong shots and made Zverev work for almost every point. The Italian reached a point where he was just two points from victory.
For Zverev, this was the moment that could have ended his US Open run.
The German stayed calm. Instead of rushing his shots, he found more control in his serve and groundstrokes. He then found a vital break and took the fourth set 7-5.
That result forced a fifth set and gave Zverev a final chance to save his tournament.
The Deciding Set
The fifth set was another close battle, but Zverev finally began to take control.
Sonego had spent almost five hours fighting at a very high level. His energy appeared to drop as the final set went on. Zverev saw the chance and took it.
At 3-2, Sonego made a double fault on break point, which gave Zverev the opening he needed. The German moved ahead and then protected his lead with strong serving.
Sonego tried to fight back, but Zverev did not give him another chance. The top seed closed the set 6-4 and completed one of the hardest wins of his career.
A Victory That Saved Zverev From History
The result was important for more than just one match.
Had Zverev lost, he would have become the first men’s No. 1 seed to lose in the first round of a Grand Slam since 2003, when Lleyton Hewitt lost to Ivo Karlovic at Wimbledon. A No. 1 seed had not lost in the first round of the US Open since Stefan Edberg in 1990.
That made Zverev’s comeback even more important. He was not just trying to win a long tennis match. He was also trying to avoid an unwanted piece of Grand Slam history.
The German eventually found the answer when he needed it most. His ability to stay calm under pressure helped him escape a match that seemed close to going Sonego’s way.
Sonego Deserves Credit
Although Sonego lost, his performance deserves plenty of praise.
The Italian entered the match as the world No. 89 and had never reached the third round of the US Open. He also had a poor record against top players at Grand Slam events. Yet none of that mattered once the match began.
Sonego played with courage and attacked Zverev instead of simply waiting for mistakes. He came within two points of a huge upset and pushed the top seed to the limit.
Zverev also gave credit to his opponent after the match. He said Sonego had played amazing tennis and could have beaten many players on that level.
For Sonego, the loss will hurt, but the match showed that he can compete with one of the best players in the world when his game is at its best.
Zverev’s Grand Slam Journey
This victory also adds another important chapter to Zverev’s 2026 season.
He won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this year. He then reached the Wimbledon final. At the US Open, he now has a chance to win his second major title.
The conditions are also unusual this year. World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is absent because of a right knee injury, while Carlos Alcaraz has had fitness concerns. Novak Djokovic also suffered an early exit. That has made Zverev one of the main players with a clear path toward the title.
But his first match showed that nothing will come easy.
A Long Night in New York
The match ended at 1:55 a.m., after almost five hours of play. It became one of the longest and most demanding matches of the tournament so far.
For Zverev, the late finish means recovery will now be very important. A long five-set match can take a lot out of a player, especially at a Grand Slam where matches arrive with little rest between them.
Still, Zverev saw a positive side to the difficult night. He said this was exactly the type of match he needed after poor results in his last two tournaments. He felt that a hard fight like this could help him find better form as the US Open continues.
Quentin Halys Waits Next
Zverev will now face Frenchman Quentin Halys in the second round.
The German has already beaten Halys twice this year, with both wins at Miami and Roland Garros. That gives Zverev a strong record against his next opponent, but his match with Sonego is a reminder that past results cannot decide what happens on court.
Zverev will need to recover well and improve several parts of his game. His return was not always sharp against Sonego, and he had many chances that he could not convert. He created 22 break-point chances but converted only five.
The Bigger Picture
Alexander Zverev is still alive at the US Open, but his first match was far from the smooth start expected from the top seed.
He lost the second and third sets, came within two points of defeat in the fourth, and then had to fight through another close set before he could celebrate. The final score tells the story, but it does not fully show how close Sonego came to one of the biggest wins of his career.
For Zverev, the most important fact is simple: he survived.
His title dream remains alive. He now has a chance to use this hard-earned victory as a source of confidence. After almost five hours of pressure, the German showed that he can stay in the fight even when the match appears to be slipping away.
The US Open is still wide open, and Zverev has another chance to prove why he came to New York as the No. 1 seed.
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