Aug 26 (Reuters) - Alexander Zverev arrives at the U.S. Open as top seed, poised to capitalise on world number one Jannik Sinner's absence and with holder Carlos Alcaraz still finding his feet after injury, as he chases a second Grand Slam title and his first in New York.
The German comes to Flushing Meadows as a Grand Slam champion for the first time, having broken the Sinner-Alcaraz stranglehold on majors with his French Open triumph in June, ending a run in which the pair shared the previous nine majors.
With Sinner's stunning second-round exit and Alcaraz's absence clearing his path in Paris, Zverev seized the moment to finally capture the title that had long eluded him.
The 29-year-old then reached his first Wimbledon final, where his impressive run was only stopped by Sinner, extending his losing streak against the Italian to 10 matches.
The U.S. Open has proved a tougher challenge for Zverev since his breakthrough run in 2020, when he came within a game of the title before losing to Dominic Thiem.
He reached the semi-finals again in 2021 and quarter-finals in 2023 and 2024 but exited in the third round last year.
Despite that mixed record in New York, Zverev finds himself in a similar position to the one that preceded his title in Paris, with another chance to make his mark on the big stage.
With Sinner withdrawing from the U.S. Open because of a persistent right-knee injury and Alcaraz returning with little match practice after a four-month layoff with a wrist problem, Zverev enters the tournament with a clearer path to his second Grand Slam crown and a new status as the player to beat.
Questions remain about his form after an underwhelming North American hard-court swing, which saw him fall in the first round in Toronto before reaching the fourth round in Cincinnati, where he squandered a match point in a loss to American Tommy Paul.
Yet Zverev's powerful serve and penetrating baseline game make him a formidable threat on the hard courts, where he has won 15 of his 25 career titles.
His return to world number two this week adds another boost as the German looks to turn his long-awaited triumph at Roland Garros into a new chapter of Grand Slam success.
(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Ken Ferris)
