Confused Alexander Zverev admits he is 'not feeling too great' despite beating Ben Shelton in Cincinnati

Alexander Zverev continued his charge towards the title in Cincinnati with another big win.

The German star failed to take advantage of a weakened field in Canada last time out, as Zverev lost to Karen Khachanov in the semifinals.

Looking to bounce back at the Cincinnati Open, Zverev picked up three straight-set wins, including a victory over the man who beat him in Toronto, to advance to the quarterfinals.

Taking on the Canadian Open champion, Zverev dominated Ben Shelton, 6-2, 6-2, to set up a blockbuster semifinal clash with Carlos Alcaraz.

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You’d think Zverev would be full of smiles after such a convincing win, although that wasn’t the case, as the German seemed to be struggling with some form of illness.

Updating fans on his condition during his post-match interview, a confused Zverev admitted he didn’t know what was going on.

Alexander Zverev said he was ‘not feeling too great’ after quarterfinal win

During his on-court interview, Zverev shared how he was feeling physically after his 6-2, 6-2 win.

“Right now I’m not feeling too great… I’m not sure what happened,” he said.

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“I came out today and probably felt the best I’ve felt in a few months. Was feeling the ball incredibly well from both sides.

“In the first set, I started feeling not so great, and it got progressively worse.

“But I’m in the semifinals and I’ll do everything I can to be 100% tomorrow.”

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Zverev will need to be at 100% for his semifinal match, as he prepares to take on world number two, Carlos Alcaraz.

The Spaniard emerged victorious in a battle for the ages against Andrey Rublev in his quarterfinal match, as he continues to search for his maiden title in Cincinnati.

Zverev and Alcaraz have played one another 11 times previously, as the five-time Grand Slam champion narrowly trails 5-6 in their head-to-head.

Match Winner Loser Score 2024 ATP Finals – RR Alexander Zverev Carlos Alcaraz 7-6, 6-4 2024 French Open – F Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 2024 Indian Wells – QF Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 2024 Australian Open – QF Alexander Zverev Carlos Alcaraz 6-1, 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 2023 ATP Finals – RR Alexander Zverev Carlos Alcaraz 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 2023 US Open – QF Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 2023 Madrid Open – 4R Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev 6-1, 6-2 2022 French Open – QF Alexander Zverev Carlos Alcaraz 6-4, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 2022 Madrid Open – F Carlos Alcaraz Alexander Zverev 6-3, 6-1 2021 Vienna Open – SF Alexander Zverev Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-3 2021 Mexican Open – 1R Alexander Zverev Carlos Alcaraz 6-3, 6-1 Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz’s head-to-head record

If Zverev is anything but 100% fit for their semifinal match, you’d imagine Alcaraz would find a way to level things up at 6-6.

The match could also act as a preview for the US Open, which begins later this month, as both players are expected to contend for the title in New York.

On the opposite side of the draw, Jannik Sinner, who is favored by many to beat Terence Atmane in his semifinal, is the defending US Open champion, as all three players have a chance to head to Flushing Meadows with a big win under their belts.

But how big a win would it be? And what success have former Cincinnati Open champions had at the US Open over recent years?

Cincinnati Open winners’ performances at the US Open

Since 2015, three of the ten Cincinnati Open champions have gone on to win the US Open title.

Year Cincinnati Open champion Performance at the US Open US Open champion 2024 Jannik Sinner Champion Jannik Sinner 2023 Novak Djokovic Champion Novak Djokovic 2022 Borna Coric Second round Carlos Alcaraz 2021 Alexander Zverev Semifinals Daniil Medvedev 2020 Novak Djokovic Fourth round Dominic Thiem 2019 Daniil Medvedev Runner-up Rafael Nadal 2018 Novak Djokovic Champion Novak Djokovic 2017 Grigor Dimitrov Second round Rafael Nadal 2016 Marin Cilic Third round Stan Wawrinka 2015 Roger Federer Runner-up Novak Djokovic Cincinnati Open champions’ performances at the US Open (Since 2015)

It is, however, important to note that the last two Cincinnati champions proceeded to pick up the title in New York.

After Novak Djokovic did the double in 2023, Sinner matched the feat in 2024, clinching his maiden Cincinnati Open and US Open wins.

Only time will tell if any of Sinner, Alcaraz, Zverev, or even Atmane… can win both titles in 2025, but it will certainly be something to look out for.

Sinner will play Atmane, and Alcaraz will play Zverev in the Cincinnati Open semifinals on Saturday, August 16.

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