US Open: Zverev Struggles Again, but All Top Seeds Advance

Alexander Zverev, the top seed following Jannik Sinner's withdrawal, once again endured an ordeal to stay alive at the US Open in a match that once again ended in the wee hours of the morning. On the women's side, Coco Gauff, Iga Swiatek, and Elena Rybakina remained firmly on course toward the coveted title held by Aryna Sabalenka.

The German once again needed more than four hours of play to defeat France's Quentin Halys, ranked 52nd in the ATP. Zverev took off his shirt in pure relief when he sealed the victory at 2:15 a.m. in New York with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (3/7), and 6-3.

"This is why I go to the gym, this is why I go to the court, this is why I train. To be able to come out on top in these difficult moments," he said in comments reported by AFP regarding his marathon victory. "I won, that's what matters," he emphasized.

"For now, I'm in the third round"

The German, who also needed five sets in his debut against Lorenzo Sonego, ran into trouble against an opponent who had never beaten a top-20 player in a Grand Slam.

The German is still struggling to find his form on this North American hardcourt tour, where he was initially seen as the player to beat due to Jannik Sinner's withdrawal and doubts about Carlos Alcaraz's possible physical issues after four months sidelined by a wrist injury.

In New York, he has already racked up nine hours and 26 minutes of play in just two of the seven rounds. "I hope to play better at some point, but for now I'm in the third round," said the world No. 2.

His next opponent will be Chilean Alejandro Tabilo, whom he defeated in last year's opening match.

Only Alcaraz and Zverev remain in the tournament among the top 5 in the ATP rankings

At Flushing Meadows, where the weather finally let up, the wave of upsets among the top ten seeds continued. The collapse on Sunday by Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed, was followed on Thursday by that of Félix Auger-Aliassime, the third seed.

The Canadian, a two-time semifinalist at the tournament, was swept aside by Russia's Karen Khachanov 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in a match in which he physically broke down. "I just couldn't feel well—I was dizzy, seeing spots, and couldn't recover. I thought maybe it would pass, but it didn't," he explained to the press.

Following Auger-Aliassime, the next player to take the court was the sixth seed, Alex de Miñaur, who fell to Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp. As a result, the only players from the ATP top 5 still in the tournament are Zverev and Spain's Alcaraz, the defending champion.

A Heartfelt Farewell to Gaël Monfils

The US Open crowd gave a heartfelt farewell to 40-year-old Frenchman Gaël Monfils following his loss to 20-year-old local player Tien. The charismatic French player, who will retire at the Paris Masters 1000, managed to get past the first round but his legs couldn't keep up against Tien, who won 6-3, 6-4, and 6-3.

This marked the end of Monfils' two-decade career in Grand Slam tournaments. "You are my second-favorite crowd, after Paris, obviously. It has been an absolute honor to play in front of you," said Monfils, who added that his next adventure will be in the world of finance.

Gauff Defeats Badosa

In the women's draw, the local hope, Coco Gauff, defeated Spain's Paula Badosa in one of the best matches of this tournament. The local star, ranked fourth in the world, emerged victorious 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) against an unusually tough second-round opponent.

Badosa, a native of New York, showed her exceptional skill when she's injury-free. "Paula is very tough. She's not a player you want to face in the second round," Gauff said of the former world No. 2.

Another Master Class from Swiatek

Earlier, another contender, Poland's Iga Swiatek, delivered yet another masterclass against Argentina's Nadia Podoroska, winning 6-3, 6-2.

Swiatek and Podoroska had only faced each other on a single, but memorable, occasion: the semifinals of Roland Garros in 2020. In Paris, the Argentine was the big surprise, starting the tournament ranked 131st in the world, while the Polish player claimed her first Grand Slam title.

Rybakina, Three Ranks Away from the Top

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's Rybakina, the world No. 2, defeated Spain's Jessica Bouzas 6-2, 6-4 in 68 minutes. Rybakina needs just three more wins to unseat Aryna Sabalenka from the top of the WTA rankings, for which she must advance to the semifinals.

She also has a score to settle with her next opponent, Ukrainian Yuliia Starodubtseva, as Starodubtseva was the one who knocked her out in May during the second round of Roland Garros.