Top seed Zverev pushed to the brink by Sonego in US Open opener
World No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev faced unexpectedly fierce resistance from Italian Lorenzo Sonego in his US Open first-round match, with Sonego leveling the contest at two sets apiece after a dramatic third-set tiebreak.
An unexpected test for the favorite
Alexander Zverev, the top seed at the 2026 US Open, found his first-round match against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego far tougher than pre-tournament predictions suggested. According to The New York Times' live coverage, the match was tied heading into the fourth set after Sonego won a dramatic third-set tiebreak 7-6, capitalizing on a Zverev double fault, to level the match at 6-4, 3-6, 6-7.
Before the tournament, both The Grandstand and Sports Illustrated had tipped Zverev as the clear favorite — he had won all six of his previous meetings with Sonego, never dropping more than two sets total across those matches. Sports Illustrated cited DraftKings odds showing Zverev as a heavy favorite (-2400) against Sonego (+970). However, the match itself told a very different story, with Sonego offering by far his strongest challenge yet against the German.
A season of contrasts
2026 has been a landmark Grand Slam season for Zverev: he lost a tight Australian Open semifinal to Carlos Alcaraz, captured his first major title at the French Open, and reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to an since-injured Jannik Sinner. Still, as The Grandstand noted, Zverev's form heading into the US Open — with poor results in Montreal and Cincinnati — may help explain his struggles against Sonego. With Novak Djokovic out of the draw, Zverev is considered the second favorite to win the title behind Alcaraz.
Sonego, for his part, has never advanced past the second round at the US Open and had suffered first-round exits in the two previous years. Yet in this match he played some of his best tennis, including clutch serving at key moments, according to the live match commentary.
Elsewhere at the tournament
On Day 3, several other players advanced: Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz, Elena Rybakina, Mirra Andreeva and Madison Keys all won their matches, while Belinda Bencic suffered an upset loss in three sets. Alexandra Eala and Gael Monfils — playing his final US Open — also claimed late victories at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Rain forced a suspension of play on the outer courts during the day.
Zverev had the support of his girlfriend, Sophia Thomalla, in his box, according to Yahoo Sports.
