US Open: Alexander Zverev steamrolls Botic van de Zandschulp, reaches fourth Grand Slam semifinal of 2026

Alexander Zverev, the top seed at the US Open, advanced to the semifinals in style, breezing past unseeded opponent Botic van de Zandschulp in a 6-2, 7-5, 6-1 victory that lasted just over two hours. This win is Zverev's fourth Grand Slam semifinal of the year, following recent semifinal appearances at the Australian Open, Roland-Garros, and Wimbledon.

Zverev will face another unseeded player, Karen Khachanov, in the semifinals on Friday. Zverev has a strong record against Khachanov, winning six of their seven matches. Khachanov reached his third Grand Slam semifinal after Alexander Blockx retired due to injury. Van de Zandschulp, who had been impressive with two five-set wins in the previous four days, struggled to break Zverev's serve and only managed two break points.

Zverev capitalized on his strong first serve and ability to exploit opponents' mistakes, saving a set point in the second frame before clinching the match late. This win marks Zverev's second straight set of Grand Slam semifinals, with his only losses coming at the 2022 US Open to Casper Ruud and the 2023 Australian Open to Stefanos Tsitsipas.

Zverev will face a tough challenge in the final, with Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe waiting on the other side of the bracket.