Zverev digs deep again at US Open, says fitness helped him survive tough moments

Alexander Zverev overcame another gruelling five-set battle at the US Open, defeating Quentin Halys in a four-hour marathon. The top seed credited his gym training and fitness regime for helping him survive difficult moments and reach the third round

New York: Top seed Alexander Zverev credited his regular workouts at the gym for being able to come out on top after another gruelling outing at the US Open 2026 on Friday.

Zverev battled past France’s Quentin Halys in another five-setter as he bagged a win 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3 in a demanding four-hour and 33-minute marathon.

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Zverev called his performance a “pretty s***” and credited his workouts for helping him to emerge victorious in tough situations.

“The performance was quite s***, to be honest,” Zverev said in his candid on-court interview. “But I won, and that’s the most important thing. I’ve been here for another four and a half hours. 2:15 a.m again,” added Zverev, who took his shirt off after winning the tiring battle against the Frenchman.

“That’s what I go to the gym for. That’s what I go to the track for and train for — to be able to come out on top of these difficult moments when you’re not playing your best, when you’re not hitting winners left and right, just getting through these kinds of matches,” he further said.

Zverev had to dig deep for the second round in a row after having defeated 89th-ranked Lorenzo Sonego in a five-setter that kept him playing until shortly before 2 am local time. His second straight five-setter made the German the first-ever top seed in a Grand Slam to play two straight five-setters in the opening two rounds in the Open Era.

Meanwhile, Zverev will now be up against Alejandro Tabilo in the third round in New York. The German, who recently won his maiden Major at the 2026 French Open, has not lost to Chile’s Tabilo in the two meetings between them.

He defeated Tabilo in the first round at Flushing Meadows in 2025 in straight sets and had got the better of him at the Italian Open 2024 in the semifinal after dropping the first set.