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German tennis star and current world No. 12\u00a0Alexander Zverev was forced to go through three pairs of shoes during his mammoth five-set win at the US Open. The 26-year-old defeated his Italian opponent\u00a0Jannik Sinner in their round of 16 clash, which was the longest match of this year’s tournament so far.<\/p>\n
The match saw\u00a0Zverev return to the tournament after missing out in 2022 following a serious ankle injury at last year’s French Open. The German is clearly back to his best and is looking to go one better after reaching the 2020 US Open final where he suffered a defeat to Austrian\u00a0Dominic Thiem.<\/p>\n
While Zverev is living up to\u00a0expectations,\u00a0the same can’t be said for his shoes. Throughout the match\u00a0Zverev struggled with his footwear which gradually worn away after each set as the heat in New York took its toll.<\/p>\n
The Hamburg-born player was forced to change shoes three times during the tie, which eventually ended\u00a06-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3.<\/p>\n
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Speaking after the game Zverev referred to the issues with his footwear and admitted that the temperature inside the 20,000 seater\u00a0Arthur Ashe Stadium also had an effect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe humidity is what killed us both,\u201d Zverev said. \u201cI\u2019m usually a guy that doesn\u2019t sweat. I had to change everything twice. I had to change shoes three or four times.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zverev’s shoes weren’t the only cause for concern during the match which continued into the early hours of the morning. During the latter stages a fan was escorted out of the stadium after the German heard an offensive chant.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n Zverev could be seen turning to the umpire during the tie and revealed what he heard after the game. \u201cHe started singing the anthem of Hitler that was back in the day,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was \u2018Deutschland \u00fcber alles\u2019 and it was a bit too much.<\/p>\n \u201cI think he was getting involved in the match for a long time, though. I don\u2019t mind it. I love when fans are loud. I love when fans are emotional. But I think me being German and not really proud of that history, it\u2019s not really a great thing to do, and I think him sitting in one of the front rows, I think a lot of people heard it. So if I just don\u2019t react, I think it\u2019s bad from my side.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the drama the former US Open finalist was overjoyed with his performance. \u201cThis is one of the best moments of my career after my comeback and after everything,\u201d he added. \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to what\u2019s next.\u201d<\/p>\n Zverev’s next match will see him face top seed\u00a0Carlos Alcaraz tomorrow night in the quarterfinals at the same Arthur Ashe Stadium, but perhaps with sturdier footwear.<\/p>\n
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