Zverev survives Sonego scare to reach US Open Second Round
Alexander Zverev has survived one of the biggest scares of the US Open so far, battling past Lorenzo Sonego in a five-set thriller that finished at 1:55 a.m. in New York.
The top seed came from two sets to one down to defeat the Italian 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4 after 4 hours and 53 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Zverev was on the verge of a stunning first-round exit when Sonego led 5-4 in the fourth set and was just two points from victory. The German held his nerve, broke Sonego and forced a deciding set before completing the comeback.
The victory keeps Zverev’s perfect record against Sonego intact at 7-0 and gives him his 47th tour-level win of the 2026 season, the most on the ATP Tour.
Zverev is competing as the top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time in his career, after moving into the position when Jannik Sinner withdrew from the US Open with a knee injury.
A defeat would have made Zverev the first men’s No. 1 seed to lose in the opening round of a Grand Slam since 2003. At the US Open specifically, the last such first-round defeat came in 1990, when Stefan Edberg lost to Alexander Volkov.
Zverev, who won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this year, will now face Quentin Halys in the second round.
