Third seed Alexander Zverev suffered a surprise exit from the US Open on Saturday, crashing out in the third round after a four-set defeat to Canada’s 25th seed, Felix Auger-Aliassime. The match, which lasted 3 hours and 48 minutes, saw Auger-Aliassime battle back to win 4-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4, 6-4. Despite claiming the first set and holding a set point in the second, Zverev was unable to maintain his momentum against the resilient Canadian.
This loss marks Zverev’s earliest exit at the US Open since 2018 and continues a recent dip in form at major tournaments, following a first-round defeat at Wimbledon just last month. For Auger-Aliassime, the victory is a significant milestone, representing his first-ever win over a top-five player at a Grand Slam.
The 25-year-old Canadian, whose best major run was a semi-final appearance at Flushing Meadows four years ago, expressed his satisfaction with the win. “This feels good. I’ve been coming here since 2018. I’m still young, it’s been a few years but I’m working my way,” he said, adding, “The tournament’s still going, the job’s not done but this means a lot to me.”
With this impressive victory, Auger-Aliassime advances to the fourth round, where he is set to face Russian 15th seed Andrey Rublev on Monday. The win revitalizes his campaign at a tournament where he has historically performed well and sets up a challenging next match as he continues his quest to deep into the second week.
