Alexander Zverev marched into the US Open final on Friday night, dismantling Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) to move within one win of a second Grand Slam title.
The French Open champion arrived in New York looking battle-worn after going five sets in each of his first two rounds. He now looks untouchable. Four straight matches, four straight wins in straight sets, and a third consecutive major final secured with a performance built on nerve, weight of shot and a stubborn refusal to blink.
This will be his second shot at the title at Flushing Meadows, four years after he let a two-set lead slip against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 final. The scars from that night have never been far from the surface. His tennis suggests he is intent on rewriting that chapter.
Zverev takes control early
From the start, Zverev imposed himself. He broke first in the opening set, locked in on serve and ruthless off the ground. Khachanov, unseeded but dangerous, struggled to match the German’s depth and consistency as Zverev swept through the first set 6-3, barely offering a look at his serve.
The pattern continued into the second. Zverev surged ahead with an early break, extending a remarkable streak of 37 consecutive service games without being broken at this tournament. He was dictating, stepping inside the baseline, leaning on that heavy backhand.
Then the match shifted.
Khachanov finally cracked the code on return, breaking back to end that run and drag himself into the contest. His forehand began to bite, his first serve found its mark, and suddenly rallies stretched longer, the Russian standing toe-to-toe instead of hanging on.
The set hurtled towards a tiebreak, and the tension rose with it.
A brutal 14-minute breaker
The second-set breaker turned into a mini-epic. Khachanov, sensing an opening, pushed hard and looked ready to flip the momentum. Zverev, for the first time all evening, wobbled.
But the German did not fold.
Across 14 draining minutes, Zverev absorbed the pressure and waited for his chance. Khachanov blinked first. A couple of loose errors at the worst possible time undid the Russian’s work, and Zverev pounced, closing out the tiebreak 9-7 and ripping the air out of Khachanov’s comeback.
The pressure finally told. Two sets up, Zverev had one hand on the final.
Same script, same winner
The third set followed a familiar storyline. Khachanov refused to go quietly, stayed aggressive and again dragged Zverev into a tiebreak. Once more, the Russian edged in front, hinting at a late twist.
Once more, Zverev slammed the door.
He tightened his game, cut out the errors and leaned on his serve under fire. Point by point, he reeled Khachanov back in, then surged past him to seal the match and a seventh win in 10 meetings between the pair.
It was clinical. It was composed. It was the work of a man who now owns a 24-2 record in Grand Slam matches this season and is playing with the authority of a serial contender, not a one-off champion.
On Sunday, Zverev will face the winner of the all-American semi-final between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton in what promises to be a raucous, partisan occasion in New York.
"I can't wait for Sunday. It's going to be incredibly special, Francis and Ben are crowd favourites here in New York," Zverev said. "Tonight is going to be an epic semi-final, I’m looking forward to watching it. Hopefully I can (stop) the American dream coming true."
Four years after heartbreak on this court, Zverev walks back into a US Open final not as a nearly man, but as a Grand Slam champion in full stride. Now the question is simple: who, if anyone, can stop him from finishing the job this time?
