German top seed defeats American Ben Shelton in four sets to claim his second Grand Slam title of 2026 and erase memories of his 2020 US Open final defeat.
Web Desk: Alexander Zverev defeated American Ben Shelton in four sets to win the 2026 US Open men’s singles title, claiming his second Grand Slam championship of the season.
The German top seed overcame Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday, September 13. The victory also helped Zverev erase painful memories of his 2020 US Open final defeat.
Zverev completes US Open redemption
Zverev had previously come close to winning the title in New York in 2020, when he surrendered a two-set lead against Austria’s Dominic Thiem before losing the final.
Six years later, the German maintained his composure against Shelton and closed out the match after three hours of high-level tennis.
The victory came after Zverev won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier in 2026, giving him two major championships in the same season.
“I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” Zverev said during the trophy presentation, reflecting on the difficult moments of his career.
Shelton fights back but falls short
Zverev made a fast start in the final, taking the opening set 6-3 after Shelton committed a double fault while serving.
The American responded with greater aggression in the third set. After Zverev appeared to be moving toward a straight-sets victory, Shelton broke serve and took the third set 7-5 to extend the contest.
Zverev, however, regained control in the fourth set. He won an early break after a lengthy 25-shot rally and maintained the advantage until the end.
Shelton was competing in his first Grand Slam final and was attempting to become the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win a men’s major title.
He also became the first Black American man in 54 years to reach the US Open men’s singles final after Arthur Ashe.
Zverev receives record prize
Zverev’s victory earned him a $5.5 million winner’s prize, described by Reuters as a Grand Slam record.
The German was so focused during the final that he initially did not realise the match had ended. After Shelton’s final return went long and the umpire announced the result, Zverev started walking back toward the baseline before recognising that he had won.
He eventually celebrated at the net with Shelton.
Zverev says Sinner remains ahead when healthy
The victory has strengthened Zverev’s position among the leading players in men’s tennis, particularly after Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner dominated the Grand Slam landscape in recent seasons.
Alcaraz was eliminated by Shelton in the US Open quarter-finals, while Sinner withdrew from the tournament because of injury.
Asked whether he now considered himself the world’s best player, Zverev said that he probably was at that moment because Sinner was injured and Alcaraz was returning from injury.
However, he added that if both players were healthy and performing at their best, he still considered Sinner ahead.
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