Zverev does not trust Botic: "This is his favorite tournament"

Alexander Zverev has taken a giant leap in his title aspirations for the US Open 2026 in his last two matches. In the first two rounds, the German tennis player was close to being eliminated by Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys, but against Alejandro Tabilo and Luciano Darderi, he raised his level to reach the quarter-finals, where he will face Botic Van de Zandschulp, sending a warning to all who think it will be an easy matchup.

It is true that Zverev has not faced any top 20 player in this tournament, nor would he until the final, considering that in the other quarter-finals of his draw are Karen Khachanov and Alexander Blockx. A situation similar to what he experienced at Roland Garros, but that does not depend on him, as it has been due to the shortcomings of the other seeded players in the draw. Additionally, in the press conference, he made sure to give credit to the Dutch tennis player, who has just overcome two grueling five-set battles to keep dreaming in the city that never sleeps.

Zverev analyzes his performance against Darderi

The match against the Italian player was of a very high level from 'Sascha', who only had to face one break point throughout the match and only struggled in a third set where the credit for that closeness goes to the Italian player. "I think I am on the right track, moving in the right direction. I felt that Luciano played an almost perfect set in the third set, and still, I won, which is an incredible sign for me. I hope to keep it up."

Changes after the first two rounds

Playing two matches of over four hours to five sets in the first two rounds was not something Zverev was pleased about, especially given the level he showed, but the positive side is that it allowed him to gain match rhythm and elevate his level as he is doing now. "I think after ten hours on the court, I might have found my rhythm a bit better, which is useful because the first two matches were not of very high quality, especially the second-round match. I’m glad there are improvements," he concluded.

First match of his career against Botic

In the quarter-finals, he will meet another great player like Botic Van de Zandschulp, who has eliminated names like Alex de Miñaur to match his best performance in a Grand Slam, which was also achieved in New York. Despite Zverev being the favorite, he is not taking it for granted. "I think he is an impressive player. I think this could be his favorite tournament in the world, because he has reached the quarter-finals here on several occasions. Obviously, he knows how to play well on these courts, and I expect a very tough match," he finished.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev no se fía de Botic: "Este es su torneo favorito"