Alexander Zverev lost to Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round of US Open 2025
The German was beaten in four sets 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 6-4
The loss meant that Zverev is the first ATP top-three-ranked player to lose in the opening week
Alexander Zverev insists he needs to change parts of his performance to "be a better player" after his shock third-round exit from the US Open.
The German was beaten in four sets by Felix Auger-Aliassime on Saturday, having failed to build on his first-set advantage in the 4-6 7-6 (9-7) 6-4 6-4 defeat.
This loss means that Zverev is the first ATP top-three-ranked player to lose in the opening week at consecutive grand slams since Rafael Nadal (Wimbledon, US Open) in 2005.
He also holds the best men's singles win rate at grand slam events (74.3%, 113-39) of any player not to have won a major tournament in the Open Era.
Zverev had been in a good position to end his wait for a grand slam title in January by reaching the Australian Open final, but was beaten in straight sets by Jannik Sinner.
Zverev was left frustrated by Saturday's performance and is already planning ahead for how he can improve his game for next season.
"The second set was very unfortunate," he said. "I had a chance to win and go up by two sets, but everything changed there.
"I don't know, the court conditions don't change much, the balls are very different... But that's not an excuse.
"The truth is, I have to improve a lot next year; I have to find something that allows me to be a better player here because I've been playing poorly in New York for two years."
Zverev's record against opponents ranked outside the ATP top 20 since 2023 now reads 32-4 with this defeat.
Saturday's exit marked Zverev's earliest exit at Flushing Meadows since a fourth-round loss in 2019, when he went on to reach his first major final the following year.
In the last two years, he made the quarter-finals, but the 28-year-old admitted his struggles at the US Open have gone on for a while.
"The same thing happened to me last year in this tournament; I have no sensitivity with the ball," he added.
"Even in the first two matches of the tournament, I didn't have good feelings. Against Felix, I tried to be aggressive at times, but it was impossible because I couldn't feel the ball.
"I tried other ways to move forward, but against a player of his level, it is very complicated. I struggled with my forehand, and my backhand has disappeared."
