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Six years after a brutal defeat against Dominic Thiem in New York, he earned another opportunity for a hardcourt title. Friday's semi-final saw him defeat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in two hours and 57 minutes.

Reaching this stage marks his sixth career Grand Slam final and his third consecutive one in 2026 alone. Earlier this year, he claimed the French Open trophy and finished as runner-up at Wimbledon. Earning his 52nd victory of the season, he now leads the men's tour in overall match wins.

Surviving intense tie-breaks

Early exchanges went smoothly for Zverev, who broke Khachanov at 3-3 to claim the opening set. Competition intensified quickly during the second set. Khachanov fought back from a 2-0 deficit, pushing the score to 5-4 before losing a tense tie-break. During that crucial moment, Zverev capitalized on his third set point.

Action in the third set proved equally demanding. Both players held serve effectively, though an unusual delay occurred when sunlight reflected onto the court from open stadium doors. Unfazed by the distraction, Zverev fought off two set points from Khachanov in the final tie-break to secure a straight-sets win.

Reaching Sunday's final required immense resilience following a rough start at Flushing Meadows. First-round opponent Lorenzo Sonego pushed him to five sets over nearly five hours. Quentin Halys then forced another grueling five-set battle lasting four hours and 33 minutes. Following those taxing matches, his form improved dramatically. He won his next four matches without dropping a single set, including a dominant quarter-final win over Botic van de Zandschulp. Now, he awaits either Frances Tiafoe or Ben Shelton in the grand finale.