Zverev secured a victory at 1 a.m., kicking off his US Open campaign.

Zverev recorded his 20th win in hard-court tour-level events in 2025.

He was almost the final male player to clinch a place in the US Open second round, yet he hopes this is only the beginning of his eventual breakthrough in a Grand Slam event.

On Tuesday evening, due to WTA world No. 3 Coco Gauff enduring a tough three-set match, Zverev’s appearance was delayed. Ultimately, in the early hours of Wednesday, he defeated Chilean player Alejandro Tabilo with a score of 6-2, 7-6(4), 6-4.

“Every year in New York, you can truly feel the passion people have for tennis, and it’s wonderful. It’s almost 1 a.m. now, and today is Tuesday, not a Saturday night... so thanks to everyone who stayed to watch,” Zverev said in a post-match interview on court. “Gauff played an incredible match; if I were watching that, I might have just gone home! Starting a match under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium—the biggest stadium in the world we have—feels great.”

Zverev is one of six former finalists in this tournament, and few understand the pain of missed opportunities as deeply as he does. At the 2020 US Open, he came very close to his first Grand Slam title but was overturned by Dominic Thiem after leading by two sets, ultimately losing in a fifth-set tiebreaker—reflecting on that match last week, he admitted he “should have won that match.”

Since then, the German player has reached two more Grand Slam finals, but both times faced the top stars of today’s tennis world. Last year at Roland Garros, he lost a five-set battle to Carlos Alcaraz; this January at the Australian Open, he was defeated in straight sets by Jannik Sinner. These two players have collectively won the last seven Grand Slam titles.

To transform his repeated near misses into his first Grand Slam championship at this year’s US Open, Zverev may need to overcome these two players. As the No. 3 seed, if he advances, he will face defending champion Sinner in the semifinals, and if he reaches the final, he will meet five-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz.

But for now, Zverev’s focus is on the second-round match againstJacob FearnleyIn their ATP head-to-head record, Zverev holds a 2-0 advantage over Fearnley, including a straight-sets victory at this year’s Australian Open on his way to the final.

Earlier, Zverev reached the semifinals in both Toronto and Cincinnati tournaments, arriving in New York in good form. Although he won in straight sets, his match against Tabilo was not easy. He successfully saved all six break points faced, including a set point against him at 5-6 in the second set, and maintained composure to avoid the match extending into even later hours.

Zverev added:

“There were moments during the match when I didn’t play my best, but I still won in straight sets and advanced. Finishing at 1 a.m. instead of 3 a.m. is important since I need to prepare for upcoming matches. There are many things to review and improve, and I’m looking forward to Thursday’s match.”

In 2025, Zverev and Fearnley will meet for the third time on hard courts, with their match scheduled for Thursday. Their first encounter was in the third round of this year’s Australian Open, where Zverev, a former ATP Finals champion, won in straight sets and went on to reach the final.

The 28-year-old Zverev has competed on the ATP professional circuit for 13 years. Before the 2022 French Open, he reached his career-high ranking of No. 2. He has won 24 tour titles, including two ATP Finals championships and seven Masters titles. He also claimed the men’s singles gold medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Many of his major titles were earned by defeating the “Big Three.”

Now, the blonde youth of years past has matured. His dream of winning a Grand Slam has become a shared hope among tennis fans and the tennis world alike.

Zverev—will he fulfill his lifelong ambition?

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