Alexander Zverev secured his second Grand Slam title of the year on Sunday, defeating American Ben Shelton in a hard-fought four-set match to claim the U.S. Open men's singles championship. The German star, playing as the top seed in a major for the first time in his career, overcame a hostile but fair crowd and Shelton's late-match surge to secure a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 victory.
The triumph marks Zverev's second major title, following his breakthrough victory at the French Open earlier this year. Interestingly, the match ended in a moment of confusion for Zverev. After serving out the final game, he retreated behind the baseline as if preparing to return a serve, apparently unaware that the match was over. It took him a few seconds to realize his achievement before he raised his arms in celebration. During the trophy presentation, Zverev acknowledged the heavily pro-American crowd. "I know today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I'm very sorry, first of all," Zverev said. "But second, it was an incredible atmosphere to play in. Even though I know that the crowd was against me, the crowd was always incredibly fair."
Shelton, the No. 8 seed, was aiming to make history of his own. Following an emotional semifinal victory over compatriot Frances Tiafoe, the 23-year-old was bidding to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick's U.S. Open triumph in 2003. Shelton was also the first Black American man to reach the U.S. Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Despite the defeat, Shelton showed immense respect for his opponent during the ceremony, telling Zverev, "You're one of the very best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year."
The victory was a massive redemption for Zverev, who has long been haunted by his 2020 U.S. Open final loss. In that match, Zverev won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem and was within two points of victory before becoming the first man since 1949 to blow a two-set lead in the final. With Sunday's win, those painful memories have been put to rest. Zverev improved his major match record to an outstanding 25-2 this year. He also took home a massive $5.5 million prize, matching the payout earned by women's champion Elena Rybakina on Saturday as the largest single-tournament prize in Grand Slam history.
Zverev's path to the top seed in New York was cleared when world No. 1 Jannik Sinner withdrew from the tournament due to a knee injury. Sinner had previously defeated Zverev in the Wimbledon final. Reflecting on the long journey to this moment, Zverev addressed his coaching staff and team: "I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before."
For Shelton, the loss extended his winless streak against Zverev to 0-6, with Sunday marking only the second time he has managed to win a set against the German. Shelton was also trying to become the first man since 1975 to defeat both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds on the way to a U.S. Open title, but he fell short. The young American struggled right from the start. As he emerged from the tunnel to deafening cheers from the New York crowd, the pressure seemed to take its toll. Serving first, Shelton lost the first two points and eventually handed Zverev an early break with a double fault. Zverev held onto that advantage to take the opening set, which concluded with another double fault from the American.
Zverev successfully neutralized the energetic crowd with his deliberate pace. To maintain focus, he bounced the ball extensively before serving—sometimes 10, 12, or even nearly 20 times—forcing the stadium into prolonged silence. Although some frustrated fans breached tennis etiquette by cheering when Zverev missed his first serves, drawing a scolding from the chair umpire, the German remained unfazed, having previously stated that he thrives in hostile environments.
The match's pivotal moment came in the second-set tiebreaker, where Zverev was dominant on his serve. Shelton hit his opening return long, was passed by a brilliant shot from Zverev, and then lost a grueling 16-shot rally to fall behind 3-0. Zverev then hammered serves of 147 mph and 124 mph that Shelton could not return. Although Shelton managed to claw back to 5-2 and got a return back in play for the only time in the tiebreaker, Zverev won that point and finished off the set with a blistering 139 mph serve. Though Shelton fought back to take the third set 7-5, Zverev reasserted his dominance in the fourth to seal the historic victory.
Whatever ghosts were left from then are long gone now.
The 23-year-old Shelton figures to get more chances, but Americans who have grown tired of waiting to celebrate a men's title wanted it now.
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