Overview
- Alexander Zverev beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7-9), 7-5, 6-4 in a 4:52 match late Wednesday to reach the US Open second round.
- The match exposed physical issues for Zverev: he checked his blood sugar repeatedly, stumbled and fell but was uninjured, and he said season-long tiredness affected his play.
- Novak Djokovic lost his first-round match to Mariano Navone earlier in the tournament, ending a 78-match streak of winning opening matches at Grand Slams and removing a major favourite from the draw.
- Zverev is scheduled to face Quentin Halys in round two, a quick turnaround that raises questions about recovery after the nearly five-hour opener.
- The tournament is operating with record prize money of about $108 million and exclusive German streaming rights held by Sporteurope with selected Sky/WOW coverage, shaping how fans follow the event.