Alexander Zverev Wins US Open 2026, Beats Ben Shelton in Four-Sets

Alexander Zverev finally conquered his US Open demons as the top seed defeated American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(7-2), 5-7, 6-2 in the men's singles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium to lift his maiden US Open title.

The German produced a composed performance against a partisan New York crowd, controlling the contest with his powerful serve and relentless baseline game. Zverev made the perfect start, taking the opening set 6-3 after breaking Shelton at a crucial stage.

The second set proved far tighter, with neither player able to establish a clear advantage. Zverev, however, maintained his composure in the tie-break, racing to a 7-2 win to move within one set of the championship.

Shelton refused to surrender. The eighth seed raised his intensity in the third set, attacking Zverev's serve and forcing the German into difficult rallies. The American eventually secured the set 7-5 to keep his hopes alive and send the home crowd into a frenzy.

Zverev responded emphatically in the fourth. The 29-year-old regained control early, broke Shelton's serve and never allowed his opponent to build another comeback. He closed out the match 6-2 to seal his second Grand Slam title of the season.

The triumph was particularly significant for Zverev, who had suffered a heartbreaking defeat after leading by two sets in the 2020 US Open final against Dominic Thiem. Six years later, he returned to New York and completed the job.

Zverev had already won his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros earlier this year before reaching the Wimbledon final. His victory in New York makes 2026 a breakthrough season at the majors.

For Shelton, the defeat ended an impressive campaign. The 23-year-old became the first Black American man to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and had defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic quarter-final.