Zverev vs Khachanov - 21:00 CET
Match news and form
The Grand Slam stage has been brutally unforgiving for Alexander Zverev in the past, handing him several heartbreaking defeats that made it difficult to bounce back each time. That was the case again at this year's Australian Open, when he squandered a sizeable lead in the deciding set against Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.
Since then, however, the tide has turned in his favour, with the Grand Slams finally being kinder to him as he ended his long wait for a maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open without facing a single top-10 opponent.
Now, he has a chance to repeat that feat at the US Open, where he is expected to reach the final without facing a top-10 player and could potentially win another Grand Slam without having to beat one.
With several top players failing on the other side of the draw, Zverev has done his job extremely well and improved as the tournament has progressed, putting himself in a prime position to capitalise on the absence and early exits of several elite opponents.
This is a huge opportunity to make the most of his path and, in a way, heal the open wound he still carries in New York.
The US Open was the scene of his most brutal Grand Slam defeat in 2020, when he led Dominic Thiem by two sets to love in the final and came within touching distance of closing out the match in the deciding set, only to squander his chances and suffer one of the most heartbreaking defeats of his career.
Meanwhile, Karen Khachanov has failed to match last year's performances and has suffered a significant ranking drop, falling to the cusp of exiting the top 50.
However, an unexpected run in New York has turned things around, with his US Open campaign set to lift him back into the top 30, while another win and a place in the final could take him back into the top 20.
Khachanov has benefited from a relatively kind draw, facing several inexperienced opponents along with Felix Auger-Aliassime, and has pounced brilliantly to reach his first semi-final of the season.
Even more surprisingly, he entered the tournament on a four-match losing streak, making this timely run a much-needed boost for the Russian.
Head-to-head
Zverev leads 6-3. Zverev has established solid control over Khachanov, winning six of their nine meetings, including their most recent encounter at last year's Cincinnati Masters.
Stats & facts
Zverev is the ninth player in the Open Era to reach the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams in the same season. He is 2-1 in those semi-finals this year.
Zverev is 5-7 in Grand Slam semi-finals in his career, with all seven of his defeats coming against top-five opponents.
Khachanov has lost 11 of his 12 Grand Slam matches against top-five opponents, with his only win coming against Auger-Aliassime at this year's US Open.
Khachanov has never reached a Grand Slam final, losing both of his previous semi-finals.
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Betting analysis
Zverev had serious problems in the later stages of Grand Slams until a few months ago, but those struggles largely stemmed from his inability to beat top-10 opponents in the Grand Slam format. Against non-top-10 players, he has otherwise been as consistent as anyone at the majors.
With a strong head-to-head record against Khachanov and no reason to have major doubts about his level in this matchup, Zverev should be able to avoid the pressure shell that has sometimes affected him in the biggest moments.
He can be expected to remain calm and confident, putting himself in a strong position to secure another routine win and move one step closer to a second Grand Slam title.
Zverev in 2026
Best results: French Open (title); Wimbledon, Madrid (final)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Miami, Indian Wells, Australian Open (semi-finals)
Record: 51-13
Record in the last 10 matches: 7-3
Record on outdoor hard courts: 22-7
Record against top-50 players: 31-10 (career 314-179)
Record in Grand Slam semi-finals: 2-1 (career 5-7)
Record in semi-finals: 3-6 (career 43-44)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (semi-finals), French Open (title), Wimbledon (final)
Zverev at the US Open
Career record: 33-10
Best result: Final (2020)
Last year's result: Round of 32
Record in semi-finals: 1-1
Preparation: Montreal (round of 64), Cincinnati (round of 16)
Road to the semi-finals: Sonego (6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4), Halys (6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3), (25) Tabilo (6-2, 7-6, 6-2), (21) Darderi (6-2, 6-2, 7-6), Van De Zandschulp (6-2, 7-5, 6-1)
Khachanov in 2026
Best results: US Open (semi-finals)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: US Open (semi-finals)
Record: 21-18
Record in the last 10 matches: 6-4
Record on outdoor hard courts: 11-9
Record against top-10 players: 1-2 (career 17-60)
Record in Grand Slam semi-finals: 0-0 (career 0-2)
Record in semi-finals: 0-0 (career 11-16)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (round of 32), French Open (round of 32), Wimbledon (round of 32)
Khachanov at the US Open
Career record: 16-10
Best result: Semi-finals (2022, 2026)
Last year's result: Round of 64
Record in semi-finals: 0-1
Preparation: Los Cabos (round of 16), Montreal (round of 64), Cincinnati (round of 128)
Road to the semi-finals: Burruchaga (6-3, 6-0, 6-1), (3) Auger-Aliassime (6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2), Bonzi (6-3, 6-2, 6-4), (14) Tien (7-5, 4-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-4), (28) Blockx (6-2, 7-5, 3-2 ret.)
Tiafoe vs Shelton - Saturday 01:00 CET
Match news and form
Frances Tiafoe could not deliver any satisfying results during last year's US Open Series, which became a major source of frustration and ultimately contributed to him ending his season early and making changes to his coaching team. This year, however, he has completely flipped the script.
His expectations and objectives had to be revised following the surgery he underwent after retiring at the Montreal Masters. Yet since returning to action, he has won 10 of the 11 matches he has played, including a runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Masters and now a semi-final appearance at the US Open.
Throughout his career, Tiafoe has often been criticised for failing to do justice to his immense talent, with his performances not always matching his potential. Since his latest surgery, however, the story has been quite different.
While he was expected to struggle and has rarely looked at his absolute best, he has continued to find ways to win.
That has been the case at this year's US Open as well. He was taken the distance by Martin Damm in the opening round and then found himself two sets and a break down against Alex Michelsen in the quarter-finals. Yet on both occasions, he dug deep, fought hard and managed to grind out impressive victories.
Ben Shelton has developed a reputation early in his career for getting the best out of himself on big occasions and never looking intimidated on the biggest stages, a hugely commendable trait that should only grow after his stunning five-set win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Holding his nerve through several critical moments in the deciding set should give him even more confidence and belief, while the victory is also hugely important for his career development, addressing one of his biggest barriers: his inability to consistently beat elite opponents, and potentially opening the door for him to establish himself at that level.
Shelton has never been afraid of the big stage and has hit the ground running at Grand Slams despite being relatively early in his career, so this is certainly not a new environment for him.
However, this is arguably his first genuine opportunity to go all the way, with the US Open title race looking particularly open in the absence of Jannik Sinner, Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic.
To his credit, Shelton has also had the perfect preparation for a potential breakthrough. Among the players remaining, he is the only one to have won a warm-up title, successfully defending his Canadian Open title in Montreal without dropping a set.
Head-to-head
Shelton leads 3-1. Despite being the less experienced of the two, Shelton has taken control of the rivalry relatively quickly. However, they are level at 1-1 in their US Open meetings.
Stats & facts
Tiafoe's two previous Grand Slam semi-final appearances both came at the US Open, with five-set losses to Alcaraz in 2022 and Taylor Fritz in 2024.
Tiafoe is currently on a five-match winning streak against top-10 opponents.
Shelton is unbeaten in semi-final matches this year, winning all four of his previous semi-finals.
Shelton is also seeking his first Grand Slam final, having lost both of his previous semi-finals, against then-World No. 2 Djokovic and World No. 1 Sinner.
Betting analysis
Tiafoe has done an incredible job to reach the final at the Cincinnati Masters and now finds himself one win away from another final appearance, this time at the US Open.
However, his serve has looked very shaky since returning from surgery, and he was fortunate not to be punished more heavily for that vulnerability against Michelsen in the quarter-finals.
That level of inconsistency is unlikely to go unpunished against Shelton, who thrives on the biggest stages and should be fully prepared to capitalise on Tiafoe's current subpar level.
Tiafoe in 2026
Best results: Halle (title); Cincinnati, Acapulco (final)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Cincinnati, Acapulco (final)
Record: 42-16
Record in the last 10 matches: 9-1
Record on outdoor hard courts: 25-9
Record against top-10 players: 5-3 (career 18-43)
Record in Grand Slam semi-finals: 0-0 (career 0-2)
Record in semi-finals: 3-1 (career 13-9)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (round of 32), French Open (round of 16), Wimbledon (round of 32)
Tiafoe at the US Open
Career record: 29-11
Best result: Semi-finals (2022, 2024, 2026)
Last year's result: Round of 32
Record in semi-finals: 0-2
Preparation: Washington (round of 32), Montreal (round of 32), Cincinnati (final)
Road to the semi-finals: Damm (6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4), Sakamoto (6-3, 7-6, 7-5), (22) Vacherot (6-4, 6-2, 6-4), (7) Medvedev (7-6, 6-4, 7-6), Michelsen (5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6)
Shelton in 2026
Best results: Montreal, Stuttgart, Munich, Dallas (title)
Best results on outdoor hard courts: Montreal (title)
Record: 38-13
Record in the last 10 matches: 9-1
Record on outdoor hard courts: 19-6
Record against top-20 players: 8-2 (career 23-32)
Record in Grand Slam semi-finals: 0-0 (career 0-2)
Record in semi-finals: 4-0 (career 9-7)
Grand Slams: Australian Open (quarter-finals), French Open (round of 64), Wimbledon (round of 128)
Shelton at the US Open
Career record: 14-4
Best result: Semi-finals (2023, 2026)
Last year's result: Round of 32
Record in semi-finals: 0-1
Preparation: Washington (quarter-finals), Montreal (title), Cincinnati (round of 64)
Road to the semi-finals: Griekspoor (1-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2), Hurkacz (6-3, 5-7, 7-6, 7-5), Shapovalov (7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4), S. Tsitsipas (6-2, 6-3, 6-4), (2) Alcaraz (6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6)