Zverev reaches the US Open quarterfinals, the only man in the last eight at all four majors this year

Alexander Zverev reached the US Open quarterfinals for the fifth time on Monday night, beating 21st seed Luciano Darderi 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (3) on Arthur Ashe Stadium in two hours and 31 minutes. He is the only man to reach the quarterfinals at all four majors this season, a first in his career. It was also the first of his four matches in New York to finish before midnight.

The match

The first two sets were one-sided. Sportschau's match report has Zverev 4-0 up in each of them; the first set took 36 minutes and the second was done after one hour and 18 minutes of play. The ATP's numbers: 72 per cent of first serves in, 86 per cent of points won behind them, and one break point faced all night, in the opening set, which he saved.

The third set was a different match. Darderi, who had landed fewer than half of his first serves in the first two sets according to Sportschau, started making them and winning almost every point behind them. Zverev had five break chances in the set, four of them in one game at 5-5, and converted none, so the set went to a tiebreak, which he won 7-3.

"I thought my level was very consistent," Zverev said on court afterwards, according to the ATP. "He started playing incredibly well in the third set. I barely saw anyone hit the ball as hard as he did, consistently for an entire set, so credit to him." He added: "Compared to the first two matches, the level has been going up and, of course, that's the goal and I'm happy about that."

The two had met once before this year, in Rome in May, where Darderi saved four match points and beat Zverev on clay after losing the first set 6-1. There was no repeat.

Before midnight

Zverev's first three matches in New York all ended after 1 a.m. local time: the opener against Lorenzo Sonego at 1:55 a.m. after four hours and 53 minutes, the second round against Quentin Halys at 2:15 a.m., and the third round against Alejandro Tabilo at 1:09 a.m., according to Sky Sports. Monday was his fourth night session in a row and the first to end before midnight, at 11:48 p.m. by Sky Sports' account.

Zverev noticed. "I don't know what to do with myself, because it's before midnight," he said in his on-court interview, as quoted by Sky Sports. "I might go to a practice court, or a bar... that was a joke, so relax."

Four majors, five New York quarterfinals

Zverev won his first major at Roland Garros in June and lost the Wimbledon final to Jannik Sinner in July; the ATP has the background on his season. Monday's win was his 50th at tour level this year, and he is the only player to have reached the last eight at all four Grand Slam tournaments in 2026.

This is his fifth US Open quarterfinal, which according to the ATP makes him the sixth active man with five or more, after Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka, Marin Čilić, Daniil Medvedev and Carlos Alcaraz. His best result here remains the 2020 final, which he lost to Dominic Thiem from two sets up.

Zverev is seeded first because Sinner, the world No. 1, withdrew before the tournament with a knee injury. In the rankings of 31 August he is No. 2 with 7,790 points to Sinner's 12,800.

Next: a first meeting with van de Zandschulp

Botic van de Zandschulp, ranked No. 70, reached the quarterfinal by coming back from two sets down against Arthur Gea, 3-6, 6-7 (0), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3), 6-4, in five hours and 13 minutes, which the ATP lists as the fourth-longest match at the US Open since 1991. Gea, a lucky loser trying to become the first to reach a major quarterfinal, held a match point on his own serve at 6-5 in the third-set tiebreak and served for the match at 5-4 in the fourth. Van de Zandschulp had also needed five sets and four hours and 29 minutes to beat Zizou Bergs in the third round.

"It's been a crazy comeback. Five hours, almost 15 minutes. Still standing, so that's a good thing," he said afterwards, according to the ATP.

The 30-year-old has a record on these courts out of proportion to his ranking. In 2021 he came through qualifying and reached the quarterfinals, beating Casper Ruud and Diego Schwartzman before losing to Daniil Medvedev, the eventual champion. In 2024 he beat Carlos Alcaraz, then the third seed, 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 in the second round. He also beat Rafael Nadal in Nadal's final match at the 2024 Davis Cup Finals, and earlier in this tournament he beat sixth seed Alex de Minaur in straight sets. His career-high ranking is No. 22, reached in August 2022, and he has never won an ATP singles title, according to his Wikipedia entry.

Zverev and van de Zandschulp have never played each other. "I think he's an impressive player," Zverev said, according to Sky Sports. "I think this might be his favourite tournament in the world. Obviously he knows how to play well on these courts, and I look forward to having a tough battle."

The quarterfinal is scheduled for Wednesday. The order of play had not been published when this article was written.

The rest of the draw

The other quarterfinal in the top half is Karen Khachanov against Alexander Blockx. Khachanov beat 14th seed Learner Tien in five sets, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-4. Blockx, the 28th seed, beat Francisco Cerúndolo 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 to become the first Belgian man in a US Open quarterfinal, at 21.

In the bottom half, Carlos Alcaraz plays Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe plays Alex Michelsen on Tuesday. Of the top eight seeds only Zverev, Alcaraz and Shelton remain; the full draw has Félix Auger-Aliassime and de Minaur out in the second round, Djokovic in the first, Flavio Cobolli in the third and Medvedev in the fourth. The final is on Sunday 13 September.