Alexander Zverev was very close to not getting anywhere near the US Open title this year.
Zverev won the US Open title, and his second Grand Slam, after beating Ben Shelton in the final on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
However, it was certainly not a straightforward journey to the title for Zverev, who played two five set matches in the first two rounds.
This includes Zverev being two points away from losing in the first round against Lorenzo Sonego, who has just been beaten by the world number 430 in Shanghai.
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Lorenzo Sonego loses in Shanghai Masters qualifying to the world number 430
Sonego is a former Australian Open quarter-finalist, has won four ATP titles, and has been ranked as highly as world number 21.
However, the Italian has struggled to find form this year, and as a result of dropping outside the top 80, Sonego was forced to play in qualifying at the Shanghai Masters.
Sonego produced some impressive tennis against Zverev at the US Open, but he has been unable to replicate this much elsewhere, having only won 12 of his 28 matches on the ATP Tour this year.
This includes at the Shanghai Masters, where Sonego has lost in the first round of qualifying, despite being the top seed. Sonego was playing against world number 430, Aziz Dougaz, and was beaten by the Tunisian 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-4.
Sonego’s defeat to Dougaz is his worst in terms of ranking since November 2017, as his poor form continues.
Lorenzo Sonego at risk of dropping to his lowest ranking in seven years
Sonego’s struggles for form this year mean that he is now at risk of a significant drop down the rankings.
The 31-year-old is currently the world number 87, but things could be about to get much worse for Sonego, with a total of 260 ranking points to defend until 2027. This comes from Sonego’s runs to the semi-finals of the Moselle Open, last-16 of the Paris Masters and the quarter-finals of the Stockholm Open.
| Tournaments Sonego played in 2025 | Points he is defending in 2026 |
| Shanghai Masters | 10 |
| Stockholm Open | 50 |
| Swiss Indoors | 0 |
| Paris Masters | 100 |
| Moselle Open | 100 |
| Total | 260 |
As a result of this, Sonego is currently at risk of dropping outside the top 100 for the first time in seven years. This is significant as it would likely prevent Sonego from gaining direct entry into the Australian Open next year.
Sonego will attempt to stop himself dropping down the rankings in the latter weeks of the season, as he is next scheduled to compete in qualifying at the ATP tournament in Lyon.
