Alexander Zverev, the men's No 1 seed, battled through a gruelling first-round match at the US Open, defeating Lorenzo Sonego in a near five-hour marathon. Zverev secured the win with a scoreline of 6-4, 3-6, 6-7 (7), 7-5, 6-4, avoiding becoming the first top seed to lose in the opening round of a Grand Slam since 2003.
The match, which concluded in the early hours of Wednesday morning, saw Zverev struggle to convert break point opportunities against Sonego. The German managed to break Sonego's serve late in the match, eventually closing it out in four hours and 52 minutes.
Zverev commented on the duration, stating, "Nearly five hours for a first round, I think this is the longest first-round match I’ve ever played in my life." He acknowledged Sonego's strong performance, adding, "He played amazing tennis today, would have beaten a lot of players for sure, but I’m happy to be through."
The German player, who won his first major title at the French Open and reached the Wimbledon final, became the No 1 seed at the US Open after Jannik Sinner withdrew due to a right knee injury. Zverev will now face Quentin Halys in the second round.