How Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina triumphed in New York – and what you can take away from it for your own game.
The US Open 2026 have impressively shown that in modern tennis, it is not just physical fitness that decides matches. In the end, those who keep their nerves in the decisive moments and can control their emotions triumph. While Alexander Zverev celebrated his second Grand Slam title of the year in the men's draw, Elena Rybakina crowned herself the new number one in the women's. Both tournament victories offer valuable lessons for every recreational athlete.
According to reports from Ubitennis and Tennis Majors, Alexander Zverev prevailed in the final with 6:3, 7:6, 5:7 and 6:2 against the American Ben Shelton. Zverev's mental state was particularly remarkable: after a brief slump in the third set, he did not lose his composure, but immediately got the break back in the fourth set. Zverev explained afterwards that, compared to previous finals – such as his bitter final defeat in New York in 2020 – he had learned to simply enjoy the time on court instead of letting himself get blocked.
The women's final also showed how important emotional control is. Elena Rybakina defeated defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6:4, 5:7 and 6:2. According to tennis MAGAZIN, the media aptly described the duel as a clash of "fire and ice". While Sabalenka gave free rein to her emotions, hit balls into the crowd and smashed her racket after the match, Rybakina remained the calm itself on the outside. This composure helped her to immediately regain control in the deciding set, even after losing the second set.
Another key to success was consistency in one's own routines. Zverev stood out during the tournament due to his extremely long preparation when serving. As the broadcaster ESPN reported according to Tennis365, the German accumulated over 12,000 ball bounces before serving over the course of the tournament. Although this routine even drew criticism from experts like John McEnroe, it helped Zverev to focus before every point. The result: in the first two sets of the final, he won an outstanding 93 per cent of points after his first serve.
For your own game on court, concrete tactical and mental tips can be derived from the performances of the pros:
Your takeaway: Fixed routines before the shot and a conscious emotional composure help you to maintain control even in tight match situations.
This article was generated automatically with AI from the sources listed above and has not been editorially reviewed.