Alexander Zverev won the 2026 US Open men's singles title on Sunday, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 in New York. It is the German's second Grand Slam, after his French Open win in June.
Zverev, the top seed, had reached the final without dropping a set in his last three rounds, and he controlled the opening exchanges with a heavy first serve and steady play at the net.
Shelton's historic run
Shelton became the first Black American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. He was also trying to end a 23-year wait for an American men's major champion, a drought that dates to Andy Roddick's title in 2003.
His path to the final was brutal. He beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarter-final that finished at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in tournament history. He then took down Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals.
Shelton's left-handed serve was the story of the fortnight. He was clocked repeatedly above 145 mph, and he took the third set against Zverev with the crowd behind him.
Zverev closes it out
Zverev steadied in the fourth. After a double fault early in the set he won the match's final three points, serving it out to seal his second major of the year and a third straight Grand Slam final appearance after Wimbledon.
The head-to-head had been one-sided going in. Zverev led Shelton 5-0 before Sunday, winning 10 of the 11 sets they had played, including a meeting at the 2025 ATP Finals in Turin.
Where the season goes from here
Zverev's year now includes a French Open title, a Wimbledon final and a US Open title, placing him alongside the sport's leading names heading into the indoor season and the ATP Finals.
For Shelton, the fortnight changed his standing regardless of the result. He beat the defending champion, carried a home crowd and showed he can last five sets against elite opponents. The next question is whether he can turn that into a major of his own.