Alexander Zverev admitted he could hardly believe how poorly he was playing in the opening two rounds of this year’s US Open, even as he closed in on a place in Sunday’s final after a demanding tournament.

The top seed moved past Karen Khachanov 6-3 7-6(7), 7-6(6) to book his spot in a third consecutive Grand Slam final and keep alive his pursuit of a second major title of the year.

Zverev produced a composed, authoritative display against the Russian, then returned to the theme of the close calls that shaped his Grand Slam story before his French Open triumph in June.

“Sometimes things go your way. I feel like I’ve had a little struggle at the major level,” he said after beating Khachanov

“I was so close so many times and maybe this year God has said this is going to be your year and enjoy your time on the court.

“I’m enjoying it and playing these big finals. I can’t wait for Sunday.”

He also described a late-night exchange with his extended team during the US Open.

“After the second round, at about 3am I was sitting with my team in the locker room and we were laughing at how bad I was playing,” Zverev said.

“That sense of humour helped me. I obviously have improved a bit otherwise I would not be in the US Open final.”

Martina Navratilova also praised the year he has put together at the majors, saying he deserves recognition for what he has achieved.

“What a year Zverev has had at the majors. It’s been outstanding stuff,” Navratilova told Sky Sports.

“Okay, Sinner lost early at the French Open and Alcaraz didn’t play, but there are no asterisks, he still had to get through even as a favourite.And that has given the confidence to play better tennis after that.

“I think he played better at Wimbledon than he did at Roland Garros, and now he started off badly here by his own admission, but he hasn’t lost a set the last four matches. He’s cooking now.”

Alcaraz is expected to appear at the Laver Cup in London and the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia, though his next major tournament remains unconfirmed.

Aryna Sabalenka is one victory away from completing a rare US Open three-peat after reaching the final of the Grand Slam event.

She delivered what may have been her strongest showing of the season, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe to move into the title match. It was a controlled, accomplished performance from a player who has repeatedly found her best level at Flushing Meadows.

Sabalenka won the tournament in 2024 and 2025, and she was also a finalist in 2023. Her recent record at the event underlines how well suited she has been to the demands of the New York stage. To find the last time she failed to go beyond the semi-final at the US Open, you have to go back to 2020.

Standing between Sabalenka and a third consecutive crown is Elena Rybakina. If Sabalenka gets it done, she would join a very short list of players to win three straight US Open titles, a distinction shared by only four others in the Open Era across the men’s and women’s game.

In the women’s draw, only Chris Evert and Serena Williams have managed the feat. Evert won four in a row in the 1970s, while Williams captured titles three straight years from 2012 to 2014 after earlier victories in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The men’s list includes John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, and Roger Federer. McEnroe won from 1979 to 1981, Lendl from 1985 to 1987, and Federer is the only man to win four in succession, making his run the benchmark in the event’s modern history.

Sabalenka’s overall numbers at the US Open add to the sense that she enters the final in strong position. Her winning rate at the tournament stands at 85%, a figure that reflects how consistently she has produced in New York. Against Rybakina, she now has the chance to turn that record into another title and make more history.

Ticket pricing at the US Open was one of the major talking points as the tournament began, with the resale market posting extreme figures for the season’s last Grand Slam.

Tennis365 first highlighted the issue in late July, when resale tickets for the men’s singles final were listed at $20,921.07 each. At the time, women’s final tickets for the previous day were priced at $5,885.38.

Those numbers were still present during the opening days of the event, with the pull of Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz, Alex Eala and Serena Williams helping drive demand. But as the final weekend comes into view, the official resale site is showing a very different picture.

Tickets for Alexander Zverev’s semi-final against Karen Khachanov have fallen to just $35 on the resale market, a drop the site says represents an 89 per cent decline in value.

There are also plenty of women’s final tickets between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina available for less than $300, with the lack of an American finalist doing little to hold prices up for fans in New York.

The all-American men’s semi-final between Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton is also drawing surprisingly modest resale figures, with numerous tickets listed for $300 or less.

Even with interest easing in the closing stages, the United States Tennis Association is still projected to have surpassed last year’s revenue and profits after three weeks at Flushing Meadows.

The USTA reported $623.8million in revenue in 2024, with most of it coming from the US Open. The tournament produced $559.6 million, or 90% of the total, according to the most recent audited financial statements. Event expenses were $282.2 million, leaving an operating profit of about $277.4 million.

That scale of income helped push prize money to a record $108,000,000 across all competitions this year, with the men’s and women’s singles champions set to receive $5.5m this weekend.