Alexander Zverev vs Alejandro Tabilo Preview & Tips - Zverev to go the distance at the US Open yet again

Alejandro Tabilo eliminated Alexei Popyrin in a battling 3-1 victory that has seen him matched up against Zverev in the third round. 

While Zverev is still in with a shot at the final Slam of the season, he has hardly had things his own way at the tournament so far. Indeed, a pair of 3-2 wins over Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys shows he has had to be at his best so far. 

Against Halys, Zverev was able to bide his time in the first set as he broke his opponent with the score at 4-4. He then suffered something similar in the second set as he was broken with Halys 5-4 up. Four total breaks in the third set showed the pair were suddenly less consistent on serve, with both struggling. While he did eventually come out on top, the cracks were there in his second round win. 

Zverev can fall back on 48 wins in 61 matches in 2026, but he has not been perfect on hard courts, winning 19 of his 26 this year. While I back him to win this one, I do not see it being a simple victory as he is once again pushed all the way. 

His win over Popyrin was impressive as it came on the back of Tabilo losing the first set. Tabilo showed his ability to bounce back as he held his nerve in the second and third sets to win 7-6. Popyrin's resolve seemed to break in the fourth as he was beaten 6-2, with Tabilo roaring to the win. 

Tabilo arrives for the clash knowing that Zverev has been shaky across the tournament so far. An inability to deny either of his opponents two sets means I back Tabilo to test Zverev, although I predict that the French Open winner will still come out on top.