Zverev: Alcaraz “a contender for sure” at US Open, says self-styled “one of 128” favourites
Top seed Alexander Zverev, drawing on his own recovery from ankle surgery, predicts Carlos Alcaraz will shake off early rust from a wrist injury lay-off to contend for the US Open title in New York.
Alexander Zverev, US Open 2026 | © mpi04/MediaPunch/Psnewz
Alexander Zverev believes Carlos Alcaraz will shake off any rust from a four-month wrist injury lay-off and emerge as a genuine contender at the US Open, drawing on his own experience of coming back from a serious injury to assess the Spaniard’s chances.
Speaking to reporters in New York on Friday, Zverev, the world No. 2 who takes the tournament’s No. 1 seed after world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew with a knee injury, said he expected Alcaraz to need time to find his best tennis after four months out. “I expect him to be maybe a bit rusty the first or second match, but once he gets through that, I think he’s going to be a contender for sure here,” Zverev said.
Zverev knows the territory. He missed close to a year after ankle surgery in 2022, an injury he still describes in blunt terms. “I broke seven ligaments and fractured two bones and had surgery. It took me a year to come back, so it was a bit different,” he said, contrasting his own recovery with a fourth months wrist problem.
He added that Alcaraz has likely used the enforced break to build physical conditioning that was out of reach for him during his own lay-off, when he was unable to walk.
“Once you win one, you want to win more”
The seeding swap follows a breakthrough season for Zverev, who ended his run of Grand Slam final defeats at Roland-Garros in June, beating Flavio Cobolli in five sets for his first major title. The German was the beaten finalist at the US Open as far back as 2020, a defeat that still needles him. “I still feel like I should have won in 2020,” he said. He added: “Once you win one, you want to win more.”
Zverev, however, played down the significance of arriving in New York as top seed for the first time. “I think what’s most important thing is whose name is at the end of the draw and who is still here in two weeks’ time,” he said, before deflecting a question on the tournament favourites altogether. “I feel like I’m one of the 128 players that are favourites in the draw,” he said.
The German also paid tribute to Kei Nishikori, who exited the same tournament in qualifying earlier on Friday in what is expected to be his final Grand Slam appearance before retirement. “He’s an incredible tennis player,” Zverev said, adding that a lighter run of injuries might have put Nishikori’s career “on a similar level to a Murray or Stan Wawrinka.”
