Alexander Zverev reached the US Open semifinals with a 6:2, 7:5, 6:1 victory over Botic van de Zandschulp, securing his 23rd Grand Slam match win of the season and eclipsing Boris Becker’s 1989 German record of 22 victories in a single calendar year, according to reports in WELT.
The straight-sets win over the 70th-ranked Dutchman also marked a career milestone for the 29-year-old German player. For the first time in his professional career, Zverev has reached at least the semifinal stage across all four Grand Slam tournaments in a single year, WELT reported.
“I am glad to be in the semifinals, but of course I want to go further,” Zverev said, as reported by WELT. He expressed a desire to close the gap on Becker’s career haul of six major titles, noting that the tennis legend holds considerably more Grand Slam trophies.
Despite his dominant progression on the court, Zverev voiced sharp criticism regarding tournament scheduling. Instead of appearing under the floodlights, tournament organizers slated his semifinal match against Karen Khachanov for an afternoon start at 3:00 PM (21:00 CEST) on Friday.
“That certainly does not play into my cards,” Zverev said, as quoted by WELT. He added that he found it unusual for players with two days of rest to follow his match, noting he had never experienced such scheduling in his 12 years on the tour.
The afternoon start forces the Hamburg native to disrupt his established tournament routine. Throughout the fortnight in New York, Zverev had grown accustomed to competing late, finishing his quarterfinal match against van de Zandschulp at 22:20 local time after two hours and 17 minutes on court.
Looking ahead to the semifinal clash, Zverev holds a 6-3 head-to-head advantage against Khachanov. The pair met in the final of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Zverev claimed the gold medal.
“We have known each other for almost 20 years,” Zverev said, according to WELT. “I have the greatest respect for him. I hope it will be a great fight on Friday.”
Against van de Zandschulp, Zverev struggled through an unpolished opening set marked by early double faults before neutralizing a set point in the second frame. The quarterfinal victory extended his cumulative tournament time on court alongside his opponent, who had previously endured two grueling five-set matches.
Zverev admitted to a disrupted sleep schedule ahead of his quarterfinal match, reporting that he stayed awake until 3:30 AM watching the previous night’s encounter between Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton.
“I didn’t go to bed. I watched TV,” Zverev said, as reported by WELT. “I was too interested. I am so used to going to sleep so late that it didn’t make any difference to me.”
The tournament schedule dictates that Zverev must now reverse those late-night habits ahead of Friday’s afternoon contest.
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