Alexander Zverev tried his best to beat Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open, but an injury thwarted his efforts.
Many predicted Alexander Zverev to struggle against Alcaraz due to the brutal match he had in the previous round but he played surprisingly well in the first set. He had his chances and while he didn't take them, he was right there.
The second set didn't go as well because Zverev experienced an injury that impacted how he could play, allowing Alcaraz to have an easier time. The serve wasn't there anymore, and he needed it to win the match against such a strong player. The outcome was a 3-set win for Alcaraz.
I was in the match the first set, yeah. I could have broken, it could have gone my way, it didn't. Then the second set I felt something in my hamstring glute, left side. I couldn't push off on my serve anymore. My serve speed was down quite a lot compared to the other days. Against him especially I needed a a good serving day otherwise it would have been difficult.
Yeah, I think my biggest weapon was kind of taken away after the first set, and yeah, it's difficult to even compete if you don't have that.
Fatigue was obviously a concern for Zverev after that match against Sinner, but he didn't have any physical issues in that match. It only happened in the second set against Alcaraz and completely changed the course of the match. As good as Zverev is, the serve is still his strongest weapon and he didn't have it after it happened.
No, I felt nothing. I felt nothing going into the match. Yeah, it just kind of appeared. The problem is that it's really bothered me. It bothered me running a little bit, but the biggest problem is pushing off on my serve.