Alexander Zverev is favored in Round 2 of the U.S. Open.

It wasn’t easy for No. 1-ranked Alexander Zverev in the opening round of the U.S. Open, as he was forced to go the distance to knock off Lorenzo Sonego and advance to Round 2.

Now, Zverev has a familiar opponent in Frenchman Quentin Halys, who he knocked off on his way to a French Open title earlier this year. Halys and Zverev have faced off twice in 2026 with the No. 1-ranked player coming out on top both times.

Halys had never made it out of the first round of the U.S. Open coming into the 2026 tournament, but a win over Facundo Díaz Acosta has pushed him through to the second round for the fourth time in four Grand Slam appearances this year.

Now, he’s set as a massive underdog against Zverev, who has some past success at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, reaching the quarterfinals four times and finishing as the runner-up in 2020.

Can he bounce back from a shaky showing in Round 1 to advance?

Let’s take a look at the odds, each player’s U.S. Open history and my prediction for this second-round match.

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

This is the third time that Zverev and Halys have faced off, with all three of their meetings coming this year. Zverev beat him in straight sets at the ATP Masters 1000 Miami, but he dropped a set against him, winning 6-4, 604, 5-7, 6-2 at the French Open.

Halys’ run at the French Open tied his best-ever finish at a Grand Slam (third round).

Let’s not sugarcoat it, Zverev was in trouble in Round 1 against Lorenzo Sonego.

I expected the No. 1-ranked player in the tournament to make quick work of his first-round opponent, but he dropped the second and third set and needed to battle back to advance to Round 2.

Zverev was knocked out in the third round of last year’s U.S. Open, but he’s made some deep runs in this tournament before. The No. 1-ranked player in the 2026 U.S. Open was the runner-up in 2020, a semifinalist in 2021 and a quarterfinalist in 2023 and 2024.

He’s won 15 career titles on hard courts, and Zverev has been a staple in the quarterfinal round of Grand Slams over the last few years.

After finally capturing a Grand Slam win at the 2026 French Open, it feels like the sky is the limit for Zverev with Jannik Sinner injured and Novak Djokovic already eliminated. But, he’s going to need a better performance than the one he put forward in Round 1 to win it all.

Halys finally made it out of the first round at the U.S. Open after five consecutive opening round exits. He defeated Facundo Díaz Acosta in four sets, and the 29-year-old has taken a set against Zverev already this year.

Still, Halys has very little Grand Slam success, failing to ever reach the fourth round in his career. This year, he has two second-round exits and a third-round exit (the French Open) in Grand Slam events.

There’s almost no value in betting on Zverev to win this match on the moneyline, but I do think we can bring the price for the No. 1-ranked player down without sacrificing too much of a cushion in this match.

I’m eyeing the set spread, where Zverev is -250 to win by two sets for more (meaning 3-0 or 3-1 victory to hit this bet) in Round 2.

Halys was able to get a set off of Zverev at the French Open earlier this year, but the 29-year-old has been much better on clay than he’s been on hard surfaces – at least in Grand Slams. Halys has multiple third-round appearances at Roland Garros, but this is just his first second-round appearance at the U.S. Open in six tries.

There’s no doubt that Zverev is the superior player, and the German has made at least the third round of the U.S. Open in his last seven appearances.

After he dropped two sets in Round 1, I think there’s a chance that Zverev has to battle a bit again in Round 2. Still, he should be able to win this match, and we’re getting much better odds for him in this market than simply taking him to win.

Pick: Zverev -1.5 Sets (-250 at DraftKings)

Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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