US Open 2026: Zverev Targets Improvement Against Halys

Top seed Alexander Zverev will look to sharpen his level when he faces France’s Quentin Halys in the second round of the US Open on Thursday, following a first-round escape that lasted nearly five hours. Zverev overcame Lorenzo Sonego in a five-set match that ran for four hours and 53 minutes and finished close to 2 a.m.

The German said there was “definitely room for improvement” after the demanding opener, but viewed the contest as a useful test following a difficult hard-court swing in North America. Zverev is again scheduled to anchor the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium as he continues his title push.

Zverev seeks a more efficient second-round performance

Zverev’s win over Sonego was his seventh in seven matches against the Italian, but it required a prolonged effort in the opening round. The top seed said the battle had value after the previous weeks, describing it as a match he needed.

“Overall I think it was a great, tough battle, and I think it was a match that I needed after the last couple of weeks,” Zverev said.

The match came after a major season in which Zverev captured his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros and reached the Wimbledon final. However, the source noted that he has struggled on North American hard courts, making his response at Flushing Meadows a significant part of his US Open campaign.

Halys arrives with his own recent momentum. The 52nd-ranked Frenchman won the first title of his career in Kitzbuehel in July and then earned his first US Open main-draw first-round victory in five appearances. He defeated Facundo Diaz Acosta in four sets to set up the meeting with Zverev.

Zverev leads the head-to-head record 1-0, but the second-round contest presents a chance for Halys to build on an important breakthrough in New York. For Zverev, the priority will be avoiding another lengthy encounter as the tournament moves forward.

Other Day 5 matches in focus

The US Open schedule also features fourth-seeded Coco Gauff against Spain’s Paula Badosa. Gauff made a brisk start in the first round and owns two Grand Slam titles, including her maiden major title at the US Open. But Badosa holds a 5-3 head-to-head advantage, including a win in Berlin this year.

Badosa, ranked 87th, comes into the match after a rain-affected first-round win over Daria Kasatkina. Her match was stopped twice on Tuesday, and she returned on Wednesday to complete it. Badosa had been unable to convert two match points before the first suspension, then let five more slip after play resumed before eventually sealing the victory.

French veteran Gael Monfils also returns after celebrating his 40th birthday with a first-round win over Adolfo Daniel Vallejo. In the final Grand Slam season of his career, Monfils faces American Learner Tien on Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Tien, 20, won his second career title in Geneva in May and holds a 1-0 head-to-head edge over Monfils after beating him at the Cincinnati Masters last month. The American reached the semi-finals there, while Monfils remains a popular figure at Flushing Meadows.

Elsewhere, Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina plays Spain’s Jessica Bouzas. Rybakina can take Aryna Sabalenka’s world number one ranking with a run to the semi-finals, adding another major storyline to the Day 5 schedule.