As Alexander Zverev survived a major scare against Lorenzo Sonego in the first round of the 2026 US Open, John McEnroe noticed a striking lapse in officiating from the commentary box. The former world No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam champion questioned what appeared to be an oversight from the chair umpire during the thrilling battle.
John McEnroe Calls Out Chair Umpire Over Serve Clock Error at US Open
After winning his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open and finishing as the runner-up at Wimbledon, No. 1 seed Zverev found himself on the verge of crashing out of the US Open in the first round. Although the German made a strong start by taking the opening set 6-4, Sonego responded admirably by winning the second set and leveling the score.
Subsequently, Zverev handed the Italian a 2-1 set lead after double-faulting on set point in the third-set tiebreak.
As the fourth set stood level at 2-2, John McEnroe was taken aback as he observed the apparent lack of the customary 25-second service clock, calling out chair umpire Damien Dumusois for the oversight.
“He’s not even turning it on. That’s what I thought was happening. He’s just bailed on it completely. Literally, he’s not turning it on most of the time,” McEnroe said.
Damien Dumusois decides the serve clock is optional for this match
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Incidentally, fans also called attention to the amount of time Zverev was taking between serves.
“Did they discontinue the serve clock at the US Open? Zverev is taking as long as he wants every serve,” one user wrote.
“This match could’ve been sub 4:30 if Zverev bounced the ball a reasonable amount of times before serving,” another fan posted.
Meanwhile, the German displayed remarkable resilience on the court. Despite coming just two points away from defeat, Zverev fought back to win the fourth set and went on to claim a 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(7), 7-5, 6-4 victory after a difficult four-hour, 53-minute battle that finished at 1:55 a.m.
The world No. 2 was elated to survive the scare, crediting Sonego for his “amazing” level as he reflected on the hard-fought triumph.
“I’m just happy I won. That’s it. Incredible battle. A lot of ups and downs. Nearly five hours for a first round. I think this is the longest first-round match I’ve ever played in my life. So credit to him, he played amazing tennis today. He would have beaten a lot of players for sure, but I’m happy to be through,” Zverev said in his on-court interview.
Up next, Alexander Zverev will hope for an easier victory against Quentin Halys in the second round of the US Open. The German is set to face the winner of the match between Alexei Popyrin and Alejandro Tabilo if he advances to the third round in New York.
