Alexander Zverev is describing himself as "very confident" going into the U.S. Open, having won ATP events in Washington and Montreal leading up to the hard-court major.

The 20-year-old German dropped his opening match in Cincinnati, but attributed the defeat partly to tiredness from his two successful weeks.

"I mean, I just played, what, 12 matches in a two-week span?" he told press in Cincinnati. "I have won one ATP 500 event and one ATP 1000 event. I beat a lot of Top 10 players and have beaten a lot of great players, a lot of tough matches. I'm not a machine. So I'm tired, yeah. There is no hiding it."

Though weary, the youngest player in the Top 10 also played doubles with Leander Paes in Cincinnati.

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"Yeah, the doubles was a promise to Leander a long time ago," he admitted.

But he now plans to take a break before starting to practice again for the U.S. Open.

"I'm going to take three, four days off and play a little bit of golf, or go to the beach,” Zverev said. “Something like that.”

With some of the top names sidelined with injury, he will now be among the most talked-about players in the field after Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. And he's just fine with that.

"Roger and Rafa are the strongest ones, and a few guys coming after that,” Zverev said. “I think I am involved in that group. I am in that small group of players. I feel very confident how I am playing right now. And I think going into the U.S. Open, I feel the best I have ever felt maybe going into a Slam."

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Alexander Zverev brimming with confidence heading into U.S. Open

Alexander Zverev brimming with confidence heading into U.S. Open

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