Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 to win the 2026 US Open men's singles title, his second Grand Slam after this year's French Open. Shelton, the eighth seed, was the first Black American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and was trying to end a 23-year American drought in men's majors. Zverev, the top seed, steadied after losing the third set. Shelton's run included a five-set win over Carlos Alcaraz that finished at 3:33 a.m., the latest in tournament history.
Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American semifinal to reach his first Grand Slam final, where he faces top seed Alexander Zverev on Sunday at Flushing Meadows. Shelton is the first Black American man to reach a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, and he is trying to end a US men's title drought that runs back to Andy Roddick in 2003. Zverev beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 and has won all five previous meetings with Shelton.
Ben Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set match at the US Open, one of the biggest wins of his career and a result that changes the shape of the men's draw. Alcaraz, a former champion in New York, had been among the favorites. The win put Shelton into the semifinals along with other American players, in a tournament that lost Jannik Sinner before it began because of a knee injury, and saw Novak Djokovic exit in the first round. Frances Tiafoe also advanced with a five-set comeback. In the women's draw, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff both lost in the semifinals, leaving no American women in the final. The result also carries ranking value heading into the indoor hard-court season, with year-end standings still in play.
The Seattle Seahawks opened the NFL season with a comeback win over the New England Patriots on Thursday night, beating the team they defeated in Super Bowl LX. Seattle played without quarterback Sam Darnold and tied the game on a 45-yard touchdown catch by Jaxon Smith-Njigba on fourth down. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye then threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, the last on a toe-tap grab by Seattle's Josh Jobe that sealed the result. New England also lost a player to an ankle injury during the game. The Seahawks won the Super Bowl in February behind six sacks and a pick-six. Both teams are expected to contend again this season.
Ben Shelton ended Carlos Alcaraz's US Open title defense in a five-set quarterfinal that finished at 3:33 a.m. New York time, the latest finish in the tournament's history. Shelton won 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) after four hours and 28 minutes, his first win over Alcaraz in four meetings. The eighth seed lost a first-set tiebreak, then took the next two sets before Alcaraz, the second seed and defending champion, forced a decider with a 6-1 fourth set. Shelton won the final-set tiebreak 10-7 as about 10,000 fans stayed in Arthur Ashe Stadium. He next faces Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semifinal.
A string of matches finishing after 2 a.m. at this year's US Open has players and fans pushing back against the tournament's late-night schedule. Alexander Zverev finished a first-round match in the early morning to rows of empty seats, then told reporters everyone was tired and wanted to go to sleep. Venus Williams' first-round loss to Sofia Kenin at Arthur Ashe Stadium also ended beyond 2 a.m., with few spectators left to watch what may have been her final singles match. Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said late finishes shift players' entire schedules and can mess up their recovery. The debate has already led Wimbledon and the US Open to raise prize money and create a players' advisory council.
Defending champions Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz powered into the US Open quarterfinals on Sunday with straight-set wins in New York. Top-ranked Sabalenka overcame early trouble on her serve to beat American Taylor Townsend 6-4, 6-3, while Alcaraz defeated Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the second match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Sabalenka has not dropped a set in the tournament. American men also surged into the last eight, with Frances Tiafoe beating Daniil Medvedev and Alex Michelsen also advancing, as US men chase their first Grand Slam title in years. The quarterfinals begin later this week at Flushing Meadows, where Sabalenka is set to face Czech teenager Linda Noskova.
Lionel Messi announced Monday that he is retiring from Argentina's national team, ending an international career that produced 125 goals in 207 appearances, both national records. In a statement on Instagram, the 39-year-old said he had given everything to the side and had nothing left to give, adding that the decision "hurts me deeply." Messi captained Argentina to the 2021 Copa América title and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the crowning achievement of a career that began with four straight final losses. His last tournament ended in defeat, with Spain beating Argentina in the World Cup final on July 19 in New Jersey. Messi is expected to keep playing club football for Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.
Group play at the 2026 FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup in Berlin reaches its deciding day on Sunday when the United States faces Italy and China meets Czechia in Group D. The Americans opened the tournament with a 94-61 win over China, while Italy beat Czechia 63-54, leaving the United States and Italy at 1-0 and China and Czechia at 0-1. Sunday's results will set the group order and shape the quarterfinal bracket. The 16-team field is the largest since 2018, with 36 games across two Berlin arenas through September 13. The champion earns a direct place in women's basketball at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where the United States already holds a spot as host nation.
The United States opened the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup with a 94-61 win over China on Friday in Berlin. Caitlin Clark finished with 14 points and 11 assists for her first double-double with the senior national team at a World Cup, and Rhyne Howard led the scoring as the US built a 30-point lead. The Americans shot 45 percent from the field and forced 16 turnovers while committing eight. China played without Dallas Wings center Li Yueru, whose lost passport kept her from traveling to Berlin. The win starts the US bid for a fifth consecutive FIBA Women's World Cup gold medal.