Alexander Zverev Reveals What Troubled Him in the Final Set Tiebreaker During US Open 2020 Loss

No.2 seed Dominic Thiem is finally a Grand Slam champion. Thiem outlasted arch-rival Alexander Zverev 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6), in one of the most intriguing finals at the US Open. However, it proved to be a heartbreaking loss for Zverev who lost the final despite being two sets to love up.

Alexander Zverev broke Thiem go 5-3 up in the fifth set and was serving for the US Open 2020 title. The German committed many unforced errors to allow Thiem to force the match into a fifth-set tiebreak. However, the No.5 seed contended after the epic final that he suffered cramps in his left quad in the fifth-set tiebreak because of which his service got affected.

Alexander Zverev emotional after a tough loss

During the post-match conference, Zverev spoke about losing from the narrowest of margins. The 23-year-old who was playing his first grand slam final regretted the chances he could not convert.

“Being two sets and a break up in a Grand Slam final and losing is not easy… I was super close to being a Grand Slam champion. A few games away, a few points away. I had a lot of chances in the fifth set, I didn’t use them.” said Zverev after losing the final despite winning the opening two sets.

The 2020 US Open runner-up was visibly emotional during the post-match ceremony. Zverev congratulated his opponent and expressed his desire to get his hand on the grand slam trophy. On the other hand, Thiem was humble in victory and wished if it was possible to have two winners.

Dominic Thiem scripts history at US Open

Thiem became the second Austrian to win a major championship after Thomas Muster in 1995 Roland Garros. The 27-year-old lost his first three grand slam finals and came close to defeating Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open final this year.

The 2020 US Open champion is the first player in the open era to win the US Open final, despite being two sets down