ATP Tour

Zverev launches US Open bid with 1 A.M. victory

Alexander Zverev may have been the last man to punch his ticket into the US Open second round, but he’s hoping it’s just the first step toward finally breaking through at a major.

After WTA World No. 3 Coco Gauff’s three-set thriller pushed his start time back on Tuesday night, Zverev held firm for a 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-4 win over Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“It’s great to see the love for tennis in New York, every single year. It’s almost 1 a.m. and it’s a Tuesday, not a Saturday night… So thank you to everyone who stayed,” Zverev said in his on-court interview. “Coco had a fantastic match, so I would’ve probably gone home myself after that match!

“It’s great to start a tournament with a night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the biggest stadium that we have in the world.”

Flying through to R2! ✈️@AlexZverev dismisses Tabilo 6-2 7-6(4) 6-4.@usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ToR2ft6ZU5

— ATP Tour (@atptour) August 27, 2025

Zverev is one of six former finalists in the field, and few know the sting of missed chances quite like him. He came agonisingly close to his first major title at the 2020 US Open, only to squander a two-set lead and fall to Dominic Thiem in a fifth-set tie-break — a match he admitted he “should have won” when reflecting last week.

Since then, the German has contested two more major finals, both against the sport’s current dominant forces. He lost to Carlos Alcaraz in five at Roland Garros last year and Jannik Sinner in three at the Australian Open in January, with the pair now having combined to win the past seven majors.

If Zverev is to turn his near misses into a maiden title at this year’s US Open, he may need to go through both men to do it. The No. 3 in the PIF ATP Rankings is seeded to meet defending champion Sinner in the semi-finals and five-time major winner Alcaraz in the championship match.

But first, Zverev’s focus is on a second-round meeting with Jacob Fearnley, whom he leads 2-0 in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series, including a straight-sets win en route to the final in Melbourne this year.

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Arriving in New York off the back of consecutive semi-final appearances in Toronto and Cincinnati, Zverev was made to work against Tabilo despite the straight-sets scoreline. He saved all six break points he faced, including a set point at 5-6 in the second, and kept his composure to avoid a long night.

“It wasn't great at times, but I won in straight sets and I’m through. It’s also very important that I finish at 1 a.m. and not 3 a.m., just looking ahead to the tournament,” Zverev added. “There is a lot to build on, a lot to improve, and I’m looking ahead to Thursday.”

Zverev will meet Fearnley for a third time on hard courts in 2025 when they clash on Thursday. Their first meeting came in the Australian Open third round, with the former Nitto ATP Finals champion claiming a straight-sets win before advancing all the way to the final.