After unremarkable efforts in the Masters Series tournaments in Montreal and Cincinnati, some observers may be wondering whether Alexander Zverev is done for the year after a brilliant campaign which has seen him join the ranks of Grand Slam singles champions.
French Open winner Zverev opens his US Open title tilt with a clash against Lorenzo Sonego, but if the 29-year-old German plays anywhere near his A-game, then it should be a cakewalk for the top seed.
Sonego has been a capable performer in his time but the Italian, 31, has endured a pretty dire season. He is on the verge of dropping out of the top 100 and he has failed to get past the last 16 of a singles tournament.
Alexander Zverev v Lorenzo Sonego Tips Summary
Best Bet - Alexander Zverev to win 3-0 in sets @ 4/6
Alternative Bet - Alexander Zverev -6.5 games handicap @ 10/11
Bet Builder - Straight Sets Winner: Yes, Over 0.5 Tie-Breaks, Alexander Zverev to Break Serve in Set 1: Yes @ 5/2
Alexander Zverev v Lorenzo Sonego Prediction
Best Bet - Alexander Zverev to win 3-0 in sets @ 4/6
There was a time when Lorenzo Sonego could have had a viable chance of upsetting Alexander Zverev, but the way things have gone for the two players in recent seasons, the gap between them has arguably never been wider.
Some observers may suggest that Zverev's season is all but over after some scintillating performances capped by him claiming his first Grand Slam singles crown at the French Open in Paris in June, when he outclassed Sonego's compatriot Flavio Cobolli in the final.
But Zverev's US Open curtain-raiser against Sonego, who looks likely to drop out of the world's top 100 anytime soon, appears so winnable that it could even set the German up nicely for a second major title this season.
The outright betting says that, of course, but should Zverev end up meeting second seed Carlos Alcaraz in the final, the Spaniard's greater quality would likely prove difficult to overcome.
Zverev, to his credit, has also upped his game this season. His service gets broken much less these days than was the case in the past - in the days when Sonego might have had a chance of upsetting him.
Nothing is ever certain, but given this pair's trajectories, it is difficult to ignore the favourite's chances of a quick victory on Arthur Ashe Stadium early on Tuesday night.
Alternative Bet - Alexander Zverev -6.5 games handicap @ 10/11
It is difficult to choose between whether to back Zverev to triumph in straight sets or to support the German to make light work of a handicap concession.
Even if Sonego were to somehow cause a surprise and win a set, which, if that were to happen, would probably arrive via a tiebreak triumph, Zverev could still be fancied to eat into a raised -7.5 offering and come out smelling of roses.
Only once in their five previous meetings, all of which have gone the way of Zverev, has Sonego won a set. Eleven sets contested and 10 were nailed by the German giant.
Alexander Zverev v Lorenzo Sonego Bet Builder Tip
Straight Sets Winner: Yes
Over 0.5 Tie-Breaks
Alexander Zverev to Break Serve in Set 1: Yes
Pays 5/2
Zverev is much more of a well-oiled machine these days and drops fewer games when performing at his peak, and with Sonego likely to err on plenty of occasions, punters should be able to rely on the top seed forcing the opening break.
That is likely to lead to straight-sets success, but the German still occasionally wanders during sets, opening the possibility of a tie-break at some stage in the match.
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Key Match Stats
Alexander Zverev leads Lorenzo Sonego 5-0 in career meetings, having won 10 of the 11 sets the pair have contested
Lorenzo Sonego has won only 11 of the 25 main-tour matches he has played this year
Lorenzo Sonego has yet to make it past the last 16 of a tournament in 2026
Alexander Zverev joined the ranks of Grand Slam singles champions when winning the French Open in June, before making July's Wimbledon final, only to lose to Jannik Sinner
Alexander Zverev has made at least the semi-finals in nine tournaments this year
Read more tennis betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
