Zverev, after his second victory in five sets: "It's a skill to win while playing poorly"

Andrés Tomás Rico - 4 Sep 2026 | 09:56
ATP Alexander Zverev US Open 2026 Rueda de prensa

The German is proud of his success against Halys in the second round of the US Open, but he acknowledges that “I’m winning while playing poorly and I hope to start playing better.”
 

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Zverev, after his second victory in five sets: "It's a skill to win while playing poorly." Photo: Getty Images

Alexander Zverev is accustomed to suffering at the US Open. The tournament's number one seed has flirted with disaster in his first two matches at the last Grand Slam of the season. In both, the German has been pushed to a fifth set. First, against Lorenzo Sonego, and this time against Quentin Halys, who took him to 4 hours and 30 minutes until 2:00 AM at Arthur Ashe to secure victory by 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3.

However, these two results reflect Zverev's current state. After triumphing at Roland Garros and showcasing his best version at Wimbledon, where he reached the final and played neck-and-neck with Jannik Sinner, he faced a North American hard court swing where he had the opportunity to confirm his new status.

But far from that, the more passive and grounded version of the German returned, as if he had reverted to the months before his first Grand Slam. He fell in the first round of the Masters 1000 in Canada against Tallon Griekspoor and was eliminated in the round of 16 in Cincinnati against Tommy Paul. Meanwhile, at this US Open, he has been on the brink of elimination in his first two matches.

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Alexander Zverev proudly acknowledges his hard-fought victory in five sets against Halys

The moment of the season, after eight months of tough competition behind him, suggests physical problems, but after his victory against Halys, he himself dismissed that. He also took the opportunity to share his perspective on what is happening to him in these early days at Flushing Meadows.

“Physically I feel good. I think I’m proud to be a pretty strong player physically. So yes, I just hope that at some point I start playing better tennis. Right now I'm winning while playing badly. It's also a skill to win when you're not playing great tennis. I think that’s something I have mastered at the moment. I hope to start playing better,” said the world number two.

Another reason Zverev cites for this irregular start is his historical relationship with the US Open: “I said it last year: New York has always been difficult for me. The conditions make it really hard to play good tennis here, but I hope to find something.”

And despite his final in 2020, where he served for his first Grand Slam before succumbing to pressure and Dominic Thiem, Zverev's other results at the US Open have not been very flattering. A semifinal in 2021 and two quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024 are his best achievements.

In the next round, he faces Alejandro Tabilo, whom he claims “has climbed quite well in the rankings this year. I played against him last year in the first round, but I think he is a much better player now.  So I expect another tough match,” asserted a Alexander Zverev who is not feeling his best at the US Open, but is still alive, which is the most important thing. 
 

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev, tras su segunda victoria en cinco sets: "Es una habilidad ganar jugando mal"