Alexander Zverev Survives Karen Khachanov Thriller to Reach US Open Final

Alexander Zverev is back in a Grand Slam final. The top seed outlasted Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in a tense, momentum-swinging US Open semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, needing two tiebreaks to close out an opponent who refused to go away. Zverev will now await the winner of the all-American semifinal between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton for a shot at his second major title of the year.

The German has been the most consistent force in men’s tennis in 2026, and Friday’s win extended that run on the biggest stage. Zverev already broke through for his first career Grand Slam title in June, outlasting Flavio Cobolli in five sets at the French Open to finally shed the label of best player never to win a major. That victory made him the first German man to capture a Grand Slam singles title since Boris Becker in 1996. Now he’s one win away from a second, and he’ll do it as the heavy favorite against whichever American emerges from Ashe Stadium.

A Semifinal That Refused to Go Quietly

Khachanov, unseeded but playing the best tennis of his career this fortnight, gave Zverev everything he could handle. The Russian took down Felix Auger-Aliassime and rode a wave of momentum into his first US Open semifinal since 2019, but he couldn’t find the extra gear needed to push the match to a fourth set. Zverev broke serve early to win the first set comfortably, then had to grind through consecutive tiebreaks as Khachanov’s serve and forehand kept the pressure on deep into both sets. Zverev leads the all-time series against Khachanov 6-3, and Friday’s result extended that dominance at the moment it mattered most.

For bettors tracking the tournament, US Open odds on Zverev have shortened with every round he’s advanced, and Friday’s straight-set win — even a hard-fought one — reinforces why sportsbooks still list him as the man to beat heading into Sunday’s final. Anyone weighing a wager on the final should check the latest DraftKings promo code before locking in a number, since lines are likely to keep moving once the men’s field is finalized Friday night.

Setting Up a Blockbuster Final

Zverev’s path to the final has been the smoothest of the top contenders left standing. He dropped just one set across five rounds, cruising past Lorenzo Sonego, Quentin Halys, Alejandro Tabilo, Luciano Darderi and Botic van de Zandschulp before dispatching Khachanov to punch his ticket to Sunday. That efficiency stands in contrast to the chaos on the other side of the draw, where both Tiafoe and Shelton needed five sets just to reach the semifinals — Shelton in an early-morning classic over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, and Tiafoe in a comeback from two sets down against Alex Michelsen.

Whoever survives that all-American semifinal will walk into Sunday’s final as the sentimental favorite of a Flushing Meadows crowd desperate to see a home player lift the trophy, but they’ll face a version of Zverev that has looked composed, physically sharp and battle-tested all tournament. A win Sunday would give Zverev two majors in the same season for the first time in his career and cement 2026 as the best year of his professional life. For fans wanting to follow the buildup to the final, our full sportsbooks hub tracks how the odds shift once the matchup is set.

The final is scheduled for Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium, with Zverev looking to add a second Grand Slam trophy to a season that already includes his breakthrough triumph in Paris.