Alexander Zverev has come close to securing a maiden Grand Slam title again this year, but he keeps falling short of the mark.
Back in January, Zverev reached the final of the Australian Open after his semifinal opponent, Novak Djokovic, was forced to retire from their clash due to injury.
The German lost to Djokovic again at Roland Garros in the quarterfinals, and at Wimbledon, he recorded his worst finish at a major since 2019, crashing out in the opening round in SW19.
After his defeat at the All England Club, Zverev spoke candidly about his situation both on and off the court, stating he had ‘never felt this empty’.
He explained that he was ‘lacking joy’ in ‘everything’ he did, but re-emphasised his desire to one day hoist a Grand Slam trophy, a feat that has eluded him for his entire career.
Though he is not among the heavy favourites this year, at the US Open, Zverev may just find that he will have his best shot of finally emerging victorious on the biggest stages in tennis.
Alexander Zverev’s chances of winning the 2025 US Open title
The 2025 US Open men’s singles draw has delivered some interesting collision courses for the world’s two best players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
For the Spaniard, his half contains both Djokovic and home hope Ben Shelton, who former champion Andy Roddick thinks can cause a big upset this year.
Sinner, on the other hand, could potentially run into a fourth-round headache, where he may meet Alexander Bublik, the only man not named Alcaraz to beat him this season.
It is the Italian’s half of the draw that Zverev finds himself in, and his route to a final four bout with the world number one is a favourable one.
The 28-year-old’s toughest tests could come in the form of Andrey Rublev, Karen Khachanov, and Alex de Minaur, all of whom he has a winning record against.
In recent times, Zverev has looked much more positive on court and has tallied his best ATP Masters 1000 results of 2025, reaching the semifinals of both the Cincinnati Open and the Canadian Open.
With a draw he is capable of finding his way through, and a surface he has found the most success on, a first major title could be on the cards for the world number three.
Alexander Zverev’s opening match at the US Open
In his first round in New York, Zverev will go toe-to-toe with Alejandro Tabilo, who he has played once before.
The two met at the Italian Open in 2024, where, on clay, they went to a decisive third set, but ultimately the higher seed came out on top.
Tabilo has never made it past the third round at a Grand Slam event, and at the US Open, his best result was a second-round finish in 2022.
The matchup, this time on hard court, should favour Zverev, who can ease his way into the tournament with a comfortable opening victory.
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