Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 on September 13, 2026, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to win his first U.S. Open title and the second Grand Slam championship of his career, extending the 23-year American men’s major drought.
Alexander Zverev Breaks Through in New York After Four-Set Battle
The search for a home champion at Flushing Meadows stands at 23 years as Alexander Zverev claimed the 2026 U.S. Open men’s singles crown. Playing on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court in New York, the German top seed overcame a determined challenge from eighth-seeded Ben Shelton to secure a 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 victory in 3 hours and 32 minutes.
Zverev arrived in the final, having already claimed his first major title at Roland Garros in June. He capitalized on a nervous start by Shelton, who was playing in his first Grand Slam final. The American double-faulted in his opening service game and dropped the first set in 41 minutes.
Overcoming the Crowd and Reliving 2020 Demons
Shelton carried the hopes of a partisan New York crowd, which included celebrities and athletes such as Knicks stars Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart, alongside Shelton’s girlfriend Trinity Rodman, who arrived from a soccer match in Washington before the finish. The 23-year-old American was attempting to become the first Black man to win the singles crown since Arthur Ashe in 1968, while also trying to break an American men’s drought that stretches back to Andy Roddick’s 2003 victory.
Zverev managed the hostile environment through his deliberate pace between points, often bouncing the ball 10 to 20 times before serving to guarantee lengthy stretches of silence. After claiming a flawless second-set tiebreak to take a commanding two-set lead, Zverev faced a third-set surge where Shelton broke at 6-5 to force a fourth set.
The victory offered Zverev sweet redemption for 2020, when he squandered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the final and later admitted he choked
. This time, he slammed the door shut with an immediate break in the fourth set and a second break for 5-2.
Historic Significance and Prize Money
With the win, Zverev improved to 25-2 in major matches this year and collected $5.5 million in prize money, matching the prize earned by women’s champion Elena Rybakina. Shelton earned $2.8 million as runner-up.
Zverev also became the first German man since Boris Becker to win two major titles in a single season. The German player manages Type 1 diabetes, which requires him to monitor his continuous glucose sensor during matches. In his post-match speech, he thanked his mother for her resilience after his childhood diagnosis, noting how she rejected doctors’ warnings that sports would be very limited for him.
A Comical Finish and Gracious Runner-Up Speech
In a bizarre final moment, Zverev finished the match with a service winner but did not realize he had won, standing at the baseline ready to serve again until he figured out the match was over.
Ben Shelton, the runner-up, congratulated Sascha on his two weeks, his second Grand Slam title, and achieving two in one year, adding that he was one of the very best players in the world and perhaps the best player in the world that year.
Shelton praised Zverev’s relentless work ethic during the trophy presentation, while Zverev acknowledged the crowd was overwhelmingly supporting his opponent.
Alexander Zverev, the US Open champion, apologized first because 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win that day, but he added that it was an incredible atmosphere to play in and that even though he knew the crowd was against him, they were always incredibly fair.
What the Result Means for the Grand Slam Landscape
With top-ranked Jannik Sinner sidelined by a knee injury and Carlos Alcaraz eliminated by Shelton in a grueling five-set quarterfinal that finished at 3:33 a.m., Zverev seized the opportunity as the top seed.
