It was a straightforward affair on Arthur Ashe Stadium: Alexander Zverev, seeded No. 1 and world No. 1, dispatched Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, 6:2, 7:5, 6:1, to advance to the 2026 US Open semifinals. The German gave the Dutchman virtually no room to breathe, emphatically reinforcing his status as the tournament's top favourite.
Dominant opener, brief resistance
The first set was a statement of intent. Zverev commanded with his serve, winning 77 percent of first-serve points and rarely allowing Van de Zandschulp to settle into rallies. The 6:2 was wrapped up in short order. The second set saw the 30-year-old Dutchman find his footing: he steadied his service games and edged himself toward a position where a tiebreak looked possible. At 3:2 in the second set, Van de Zandschulp even earned the first break point of the match — but Zverev remained ice-cool, winning a 33-shot rally to save it. The pivotal moment came shortly after.
The turning point at 5:4
With the score at 5:4 in Van de Zandschulp's favour, a set point even flickered into view, only for a forehand error from the Dutchman to hand the exchange back to Zverev. Shortly afterwards, at 5:5, the German broke his opponent's serve and converted the opportunity to take the set — 7:5. Zverev never let a tiebreak come into the equation. Van de Zandschulp had delivered some remarkable performances on his run to the quarterfinal — including a comeback from two sets down against Arthur Gea and a win over sixth-seeded Alex de Minaur — but the physical toll of back-to-back five-set matches was plainly evident.
Third set without a fight
The third set offered barely a flicker of resistance. Zverev broke Van de Zandschulp's serve three times and took the set 6:1. The statistics told the full story: Zverev held serve in 100 percent of his service games, saved every break point he faced, and converted 67 percent of his own break points. Van de Zandschulp, by contrast, failed to record a single break — his conversion rate on break points stood at zero percent. With 36 unforced errors, he handed Zverev far too many free points.
A historic run for Zverev
The victory carries significance well beyond the scoreline: Zverev has now reached the US Open semifinals for the third time in his career. More striking still is the fact that in 2026 he has reached the semifinal at all four Grand Slams — a remarkable level of consistency in a year that already includes his first Grand Slam title, won at the French Open. For Botic van de Zandschulp, who as a qualifier first reached the US Open quarterfinal in 2021, the defeat was nonetheless another achievement — only for the second time in his career had he made the last eight in New York.
