Zverev Caps Career-Best Season with US Open Triumph
World No. 2 Alexander Zverev has completed his most successful campaign on the ATP Tour, adding a US Open title to a resume that already included a run to the Australian Open semi-finals, a Wimbledon final appearance, and a deep run at the French Open. While the German has benefited from injury absences that sidelined rivals Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz—who dominated the major landscape over the previous two seasons—analysts point to a distinctly strengthened mentality and elite physical conditioning as the primary drivers of his breakthrough.
Peers Hail Zverev as Sport’s Premier Athlete
Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, placed Zverev at the very pinnacle of the sport’s physical hierarchy.
“There is no-one as fit as Zverev, he is right up there,” former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli said on BBC Radio 5 Live.
“You can argue about Alcaraz and Sinner, and Novak [Djokovic] and Rafa [Nadal] when they were in their prime physically, but Zverev is right up there as one of the best athletes to play the sport.”
Early Survival Sparks Championship Run
The path to the title was far from straightforward. Zverev was pushed to five sets in each of his opening two matches, with both contests concluding in the early hours of the New York morning. He stood just two points from a first-round exit before rallying to survive. That escape proved the catalyst for a dominant second week; from the third round onward, he did not drop a single set until the championship match.
Composure Under Fire in the Final
Facing a fiercely partisan crowd supporting American Ben Shelton in the final, Zverev refused to buckle. He deliberately kept his emotions in check throughout the contest. Even after dropping the third set, he never relinquished his tactical grip on the match, closing out the victory in four sets.
Croft Describes ‘Zen-Like’ Trance State
Former British No. 1 Annabel Croft was struck by the unusual psychological state Zverev maintained during the decisive moments.
“I’m so admiring of his strength of character and the zen-like state he’s been in since the very beginning of the match,” said former British number one Annabel Croft. “The most extraordinary thing – and I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed it – was that he didn’t realise he had won.”
“It was so bizarre, but it was like he was in a trance-like state while he was playing.”
