World No. 2 Alexander Zverev began his US Open 2026 campaign with a five-set victory over Lorenzo Sonego. The top-seeded German escaped a valiant upset bid by the Italian to prevail, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4, in the first-round action inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Speaking in an interview shared by JioStar, Zverev reflected on winning his first Grand Slam, the work that went into achieving the feat, and his ambition to replicate that success at the US Open 2026. <\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"There was definitely some weight on my shoulders, for sure, especially at the age that I\u2019m at. You never know if it\u2019s ever going to happen. So, I was very happy to have finally lifted my first Grand Slam trophy, but now, once you do it, you want more. You want to keep going, you want to continue playing good tennis, and hopefully be a contender for the next one as well,\u201d Zverev said while talking about winning his maiden Grand Slam title.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on what helped him achieve the breakthrough and his ambitions of adding more Grand Slam titles, Zverev said: \u201cI think it was just the result of the work that I\u2019ve done over the years. A lot of times, I came up just short. That\u2019s what maybe made the difference in the end against Flavia in the fifth set. I was feeling really ready to win, which was a different kind of feeling compared to the other finals. I\u2019m happy that it happened.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\"We\u2019re in New York now, and I want to try and do it again. I feel like I\u2019m finding my rhythm; I feel like I\u2019m finding my game again, which is a very nice feeling. I\u2019m looking forward to the challenges ahead, and hopefully I can be at my best again.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Reflecting on what helped him achieve the breakthrough and his ambitions of adding more Grand Slam titles, Zverev said: \u201cI think it was just the result of the work that I\u2019ve done over the years. A lot of times, I came up just short. That\u2019s what maybe made the difference in the end against Flavia in the fifth set. I was feeling really ready to win, which was a different kind of feeling compared to the other finals. I\u2019m happy that it happened.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The German also spoke about the unique atmosphere at the US Open and what makes competing in New York special: \"I feel the energy in the stadium, the crowds, is always very different; it\u2019s always very high. People are energetic; it\u2019s not a secret. New York night sessions are very, very special, so I look forward to playing those as well. But yeah, it\u2019s this Grand Slam with the biggest stadium; I think that sums up New York quite well.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\n