Alexander Zverev has rejected the suggestion that he is the title favourite for the upcoming US Open, while backing Carlos Alcaraz to be a ‘contender’ for the trophy despite his lengthy injury lay-off.

The German returns to New York with a significantly different profile from 12 months ago, having won his maiden Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open before reaching his first Wimbledon final in July.

Zverev’s chances of adding another major title have been boosted by world No 1 Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal, with the Italian pulling out due to lingering knee issues following his Wimbledon triumph.

Meanwhile, Alcaraz – whom the 29-year-old has leapfrogged in the rankings – has been out of action for four months with a wrist injury. However, the Spaniard is now set to make his long-awaited return to the tour in New York.

Zverev himself arrives at Flushing Meadows without the ideal preparation, having suffered disappointing defeats at the recent Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, where he lost in the second and fourth rounds respectively.

The world No 2 has nevertheless been remarkably consistent at the US Open, reaching at least the quarter-finals in four of his five most recent appearances, including a run to the final in 2020.

In that showpiece, Zverev was edged out by Dominic Thiem in a five-set classic, despite leading by two sets and a break.

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“I still feel that I should have won in 2020; that hasn’t changed. Overall, of course, there is a certain level of satisfaction from finally winning a Grand Slam,” he analysed during his pre-tournament press conference.

“I think I’ve said it a million times. But you also realise something: once you win one, you want to win more. You want to keep moving forward, and you want to play your best tennis every time you step onto a court.

“I feel that I did that after Roland Garros, and then I didn’t do it in the last two tournaments.

“But I definitely feel that my game is coming back, and it’s been improving with every training session. I hope to show my best tennis here again.”

With last year’s two finalists – Sinner and Alcaraz – either absent or returning from an extended injury lay-off, many have identified Zverev as the leading contenders for the title.

However, the favourite tag is one that the German has consistently played down, and this week has been no exception.

“I think being a seed is nice and shows that you have been playing well, but I think the most important thing is whose name appears at the end of the draw and who is still here in two weeks,” he added.

“I believe that’s the main objective for everyone in the draw. I feel like I’m just one of the 128 favourite players in the draw, nothing more.”

Zverev was subsequently asked whether he could compare Alcaraz’s wrist injury with the ankle injury he suffered in June 2022, which tore multiple ligaments and brought his season to an early end.

However, the German explained that the injuries are too different to compare and suggested that, after one or two potentially rusty matches, the world No 3 could quickly establish himself as a title contender once again.

“I know what you mean, but it’s very different because I think it’s a different injury,” Zverev stated.

“The wrist is never easy, that’s for sure.

“I know this because my brother also had a wrist injury, and it takes time to come back from something like that. I think mine was different because I tore seven ligaments and fractured two bones, so I had to undergo surgery.

“It took me a year to come back, so it was a bit different. I feel that he’s probably at the same physical level now, if not better, because surely over the last four or five months he has done a lot of physical work – something I couldn’t do because I couldn’t walk.

“I think he’ll be a bit rusty during the first or second match, but once he gets past that, I think he will be a title contender, for sure.”

Zverev will open up his US Open campaign against Italian Lorenzo Sonego.