Top‑seed Alexander Zverev turned the tide on Sunday, defeating Ben Shelton in a four‑set final to capture his first US Open crown and deliver a crushing blow to American hopes. The German star outplayed the eighth‑seeded American, winning 6‑3, 7‑6 (7‑2), 5‑7, 6‑2 on the iconic courts of Flushing Meadows. Zverev's triumph adds a New York title to a season that already saw him lift the French Open trophy earlier in the year. The climax of the match featured a bizarre moment: Shelton's return on championship point sailed long, yet Zverev, apparently unaware that the point had ended, bounced the ball back as if another rally were about to begin.
Only after glancing at the giant scoreboard did he realize he had already sealed the victory. His résumé now reads: two Grand Slam titles, one Olympic gold medal, two ATP Finals crowns, seven Masters 1000 victories, 26 tour‑level singles titles and a former world No. 1 ranking – a collection that suggests a future return to the top of the rankings is inevitable. "I feel like there was so much suffering for the Zverev family at Grand Slam level, that maybe 2026 is the year we should just enjoy," Zverev told Sky Sports Tennis.
"Everything is going perfectly. I am unbelievably happy.
Three months ago if someone had told me I would win just one Grand Slam in my career, I would have signed the paper straight away and never questioned it. Now standing here with two Grand Slam trophies in the space of a few months is incredible." When asked about his momentary confusion on championship point, Zverev laughed: "I thought the score was 5‑1!
I knew I had broken him twice, but I thought he only held once. I was thinking, 'Okay, I'm going to have a relaxed service game here and then I'll get tight on the next one.' It was lucky for me! It's actually funny – coaches always say play each point and forget the score. Well, I forgot the score and it helped me!" Shelton entered the final with a historic mission: become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and only the second Black male champion after Arthur Ashe’s 1975 victory.
He was greeted by a rapturous crowd of roughly 23,000 spectators, many of them gathered in the stadium named after Ashe. The audience included Hollywood names such as Brad Pitt, Rami Malek and James Bond legend Pierce Brosnan, who was caught on camera with the match clock ticking down to 0.07 seconds. Zverev’s path to the final was grueling – 19 hours and 38 minutes on court across the fortnight, the fourth‑longest cumulative time for a player reaching a Grand Slam final since 1991.
He started the final aggressively, breaking Shelton’s serve in the opening game and again on set point to take the first set. The German’s powerful serve and relentless baseline play left the American struggling to generate any break opportunities in the opening two sets. Historically, Shelton had never beaten Zverev – five defeats in five meetings – and he had also entered New York without a win over either Stefanos Tsitsipas or Carlos Alcaraz, two of the sport’s dominant figures.
Nevertheless, his run to the final, which included a breakthrough win over Alcaraz, gave him confidence heading into the showdown. In the second set, Zverev shed the lingering label of "the best player never to win a major" that had haunted him since his French Open win. He dominated the tie‑break, pulling within a set and a break of the championship. Shelton rallied in the third, breaking Zverev’s serve twice and converting a crucial set point to force a deciding set.
The fourth set saw Zverev reassert his dominance. After an early break, he held serve with composure, and his trademark ball‑bouncing – which accumulated to roughly three hours of the 23‑plus hours he spent on court during the tournament – finally resulted in a time‑violation warning from the umpire. Shelton’s girlfriend, U.S. women’s soccer star Trinity Rodman, performed a logistical feat by traveling 200 miles from a Washington, D.C., football pitch to Queens in time to sit in his box, but the effort could not alter the outcome.
Zverev clinched the match in just three hours and 33 minutes, securing his second Grand Slam title and his first US Open triumph. After the win, he paid heartfelt tribute to his mother, Irina, a former professional player who refused to let his type‑1 diabetes define his career. "When your four‑year‑old son is diagnosed with diabetes and doctors tell you his life and sport will be limited, it takes a very strong mother to say, ‘My son will be whatever he wants to be.’ If he wants to be a tennis player, he’ll be a tennis player. This illness will not define us.
My mother is the strongest person I know." Zverev also praised Shelton, saying, "Ben, you're an incredible player and an incredible person. This was your first Grand Slam final but I already told you you're going to be back here many more times.
If I had to bet all my money, I’d bet you’ll lift this trophy one day." The head‑to‑head now stands at 6‑0 in Zverev’s favour, marking his 26th career title, his 60th victory over a top‑10 opponent, and the culmination of a year that finally dispelled doubts about his ability to win majors. Shelton, still young and hungry, responded graciously: "Sascha, congratulations on these two weeks, your second Grand Slam title and two in one year.
What you’re doing is incredible – the way you serve, the movement, the work ethic. You work harder than anyone I know, and you put in more hours on court. You and your team do things the right way and I’m sincerely happy for you. To New York, you drove me here today.
I’m just getting started and I’ll be back again." Former British No. 1 Tim Henman reflected on Zverev’s resurgence: "The perseverance and the way Zverev’s game has improved over the last 12 months is remarkable.
I was looking back at his Grand Slam results and his game was going backwards, but he has transformed himself to be more aggressive. Zverev had beaten Shelton five times in a row, and while Shelton tried to change the narrative, Zverev looked comfortable throughout." Former Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli added perspective on the experience gap: "The difference in their experience was massive. In the first game, Shelton won the toss, elected to serve, fell to 30‑30, missed an easy shot and then double‑faulted, giving Zverev the first break.
It’s not easy to play your first Grand Slam final in front of a home crowd, but Zverev made only one unforced error in the first set, making Shelton’s life very difficult. There’s no shame in losing to Zverev when he’s playing at this level." The match underscored a shifting landscape in men’s tennis, with Zverev capitalising on the injury‑related absences of rivals such as Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner throughout the season. His newfound freedom, aggressive mindset, and mental resilience propelled him to the pinnacle of the sport, setting the stage for what many expect to be a return to the top of the rankings in the coming years.
Fans can continue to follow Zverev’s journey and other tennis action via streaming platforms without a contract on NOW or the Sky Sports app, and the Laver Cup will be broadcast live from The O2 in London from 25‑27 September on Sky Sports.