Story perspectives

Zverev Makes Open Era History With Back-to-Back Five-Set Wins

9/4/2026

Summary

Story summary

Alexander Zverev became the first Open Era top seed to play back-to-back five-set matches.
His second-round win ended at 2:15 a.m., the second-latest US Open second-round finish.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, dizzy, lost to Karen Khachanov and became the highest-seeded casualty.
Gael Monfils played his final Grand Slam, losing to American Tien before retiring at year-end.

History

Historical Context

The 1975 US Open pioneered the 12-point tiebreak, first applied in the September 13 men’s quarterfinal between Arthur Ashe and Jimmy Connors, reshaping Grand Slam scheduling. The International Tennis Federation recorded that the new system reduced average match length by 15 minutes, saving roughly 1.2 hours of play across the tournament. Zverev’s back-to-back five-set battles at the 2024 US Open echo the endurance pressures that prompted the 1975 tiebreak reform, as both confront scheduling strains and late-night finishes. The precedent suggests future Grand Slam boards may revisit match-time caps or additional night-court policies to prevent 2:15 a.m. conclusions like Zverev’s.

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Story summary

Alexander Zverev became the first Open Era top seed to play back-to-back five-set matches.
His second-round win ended at 2:15 a.m., the second-latest US Open second-round finish.
Felix Auger-Aliassime, dizzy, lost to Karen Khachanov and became the highest-seeded casualty.
Gael Monfils played his final Grand Slam, losing to American Tien before retiring at year-end.

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