Alexander Zverev’s campaign at the US Open mixed doubles tournament ended in the opening round after a quick defeat against Belinda Bencic and Fabio Cobolli in New York. The German top player, partnering with American Taylor Townsend, dropped the match 2:4, 2:4 in just 49 minutes.
Format Challenges and High Stakes in New York
The mixed doubles event at Flushing Meadows is staging its second appearance under a revised format. Organizers offer a lucrative prize pool featuring one million US dollars for the eventual champion team. Last year’s premiere drew large crowds and sold-out sessions, prompting tournament officials to introduce a qualifying tournament this season to award four additional slots after doubles specialists voiced criticism.
Top-tier singles competitors typically bypass Grand Slam mixed draws to conserve physical energy for the singles. Zverev, who enters the main singles draw as the top seed following the withdrawal of world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner, elected to play alongside Townsend but could not find a foothold against the Swiss-Italian pairing of Bencic and Cobolli.
Familiar Frustration in the Mixed Draw
The early exit marks Zverev’s second first-round departure in the New York mixed competition. Last year, the world number three teamed up with Bencic only to bow out in their opening match. That title ultimately went to Italians Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, who maintain a regular partnership on the professional tour.
For Bencic and Cobolli, the victory provides a smooth start in the bracket.
Hard-Court Preparation Struggles
The doubles setback compounds a difficult stretch of hard-court preparation for the German star. Zverev arrived in New York searching for rhythm after failing to reach the quarterfinals at the ATP-Masters in Cincinnati. In that event, disrupted heavily by rain delays, he fell 6:4, 6:7 (6:8), 4:6 to American opponent Tommy Paul after squandering a matchball in the second-set tiebreak.
That result followed an opening-round loss in Montréal to the Netherlands’ Tallon Griekspoor, leaving the 29-year-old searching for his best form as the tournament gets underway.
Next Steps at Flushing Meadows
With his mixed doubles commitments concluded, Zverev turns his focus to the men’s singles tournament. He opens his singles campaign in New York as the top seed, looking to put his recent Cincinnati and Montréal setbacks behind him.
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