US Open 2026: Top Seed Alexander Zverev Powers Past Khachanov into Men’s Final

World No. 1 Alexander Zverev secured his place in the 2026 US Open final after defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) on Friday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory marks Zverev’s second career championship match appearance in Flushing Meadows and his third consecutive Grand Slam final.

Semifinal Breakdown

• First Set: After a run of steady service holds, Zverev capitalized on the match’s opening break point at 4-3 before serving out the opening frame 6-3 in 37 minutes. The German showcased sharp net play, winning all nine of his approaches.
• Second Set: The players traded breaks early in the set before heading to a tiebreak. Relying on heavy serving—including seven aces throughout the set—Zverev closed out a tight 7-6(7) contest on his third set point following an intense 22-shot rally.
• Third Set: Khachanov raised his baseline aggression as Zverev’s first-serve percentage dropped to 52%. Khachanov raced to a 5-2 lead in the breaker and held two set points at 6-4, but Zverev mounted a four-point streak to seal the tiebreak 7-6(6) and finish the straight-sets win.

Path to the Championship Match Zverev entered the contest having spent a tournament-record 16 hours and 40 minutes on court across the opening five rounds, heavily weighed down by five-set battles in the first two rounds. By contrast, Khachanov had logged 12 hours and 30 minutes, benefiting from a quarterfinal retirement by Alexander Blockx. The victory widened Zverev’s head-to-head advantage over Khachanov to 7-3.

Championship Outlook The reigning French Open champion will contest Sunday’s final against either No. 8 seed Ben Shelton or No. 12 seed Frances Tiafoe. Zverev holds dominant career records over both potential opponents, leading Shelton 5-0 and Tiafoe 9-1. With former champion Carlos Alcaraz eliminated in the quarterfinals, the 2026 tournament is guaranteed to crown a first-time US Open men’s singles champion.