Top seed Alexander Zverev dashed American dreams on Sunday, overcoming Ben Shelton in a four-set battle to claim his maiden US Open title.
The German proved too strong for the eighth-seeded American prevailing 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 5-7 6-2 in the final at Flushing Meadows.
Zverev added the New York title to his collection after winning the French Open earlier this year. In a bizarre ending, Shelton’s return sailed long on match point, but Zverev, seemingly unaware that he had won, hit the balls back to the other end of the court, ready for another game.
It was only when Zverev glanced up at the big screen that he realised he had actually won.
Alexander Zverev
2 Grand Slam titles
1 Olympic gold medal
2 ATP Finals titles
7 ATP Masters 1000 titles
26 singles titles
World No 1 🔜 ?
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Alexander Zverev won the US Open and didn’t even realise!
“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 I was told you are going to win one Grand Slam in your career and nothing else, I would have signed the paper straight away and never questioned it.
“Now standing here with two Grand Slam trophies in the space of the months is incredible.”
And on not realising he had won it on Championship point, he admitted: “I thought the score was 5-1! I knew that 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, teachers in tennis say play each point and forget about the score. Well I forgot about the score and it helped me!”
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Zverev explained to Sky Sports that he didn’t realise he had won the US open as he thought the score was was 5-1!
How the drama unfolded…
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Shelton was bidding to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003, while also aiming to become only the second black man to triumph at this level after Arthur Ashe in 1975. He walked onto the court to a rapturous reception from a partisan crowd of 23,000 spectators inside the stadium named in Ashe’s honour.
Among the star-studded crowd were actors Brad Pitt and Rami Malek, as well as James Bond star Pierce Brosnan, who received a mischievous camera shot from the TV director with the match clock showing just 0.07.
Despite spending 19 hours and 38 minutes on court en route to the final – the fourth-longest total recorded by a player reaching a Grand Slam final since 1991 – Zverev made a blistering start. He broke in the opening game and then broke again on set point to seize control.
Shelton could not even earn a break point in the opening two sets, as Zverev, the No 1 seed at a Grand Slam for the first time, relied on his powerful serve to keep the American at bay.
Shelton had lost all five of his previous meetings with Zverev, but he had also arrived in New York having never beaten Stefanos Tsitsipas or, most notably, Carlos Alcaraz – until this tournament. That run gave him plenty of reason for optimism heading into Sunday’s final at Flushing Meadows.
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Ben Shelton ended on the floor as Alexander Zverev hit a brilliant passing shot in the US Open final.
But Zverev, now playing with freedom after shedding the unwanted tag of the ‘best player never to win a major’ with his French Open triumph earlier this year, dominated the second-set tie-break to move within a set of the title.
Shelton dug in, to his credit, and finally brought up three break – and set – points as the Zverev serve suddenly faltered, and the crowd were in full voice again when he converted the second.
But the match was effectively over as a contest when Zverev, who has capitalised on the fitness struggles and absences of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner at various points this year, broke early in the fourth set.
His incessant ball-bouncing – statistics showed he spent around three hours of his 23-plus hours on court this fortnight bouncing the ball between serves – finally resulted in a time violation.
But the 29-year-old held his nerve to clinch Grand Slam title No 2, and his first in New York, in three hours and 33 minutes. After a brief pause to take it all in, he finally began to celebrate.
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Brad Pitt approved a brilliant winner hit by Alexander Zverev in the US Open final.
Shortly after his victory, Zverev reserved his most heartfelt thanks for his mother Irina, a former professional tennis player, crediting her with refusing to let type 1 diabetes dictate his future.
“When your four-year-old son is diagnosed with diabetes and doctors in the office tell you that life and sports will be very limited for that child, it takes a very strong mother to say ‘my son will be whatever he wants to be’,” Zverev said.
“If he wants to be a tennis player, he’ll be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he’ll do something else but this illness will not define us.
“I’m happy that we worked through it and we’re doing things that we’re doing right now. My mother is the most important and strongest person I know because it takes an unbelievably strong woman to do what she did.”
Zverev also paid tribute to 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 and if I would have to bet all my money on it, I would bet that you would lift this trophy one day.”
Zverev wins his first US Open and second Slam of 2026
He’s now 6-0 against Shelton in the head-to-head
✅26th title
✅60th top 10 win
After years of doubt building up on whether he’d ever win a Grand Slam, he ends 2026 with two of them
Shelton: I’m just getting started
Shelton congratulates Zverev on his win
Shelton, who was not even a year old the last time an American man won a Grand Slam title, said: “Sascha, congrats on these two weeks, your second Grand Slam title and two in one year.
“What you’re doing is incredible, the way you are serving and moving in play. You work harder than anyone I know, and do more hours on court than anyone else.
“You and your team do things the right way and I’m sincerely happy for you guys to hold this title.
“To New York, you guys drove me here today. I’m just getting started and I’ll be back here again.”
Tale of the Tape
Henman: Zverev has transformed from a player who was going backwards a year ago
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Sky Sports Tennis’ Tim Henman:
“The perseverance and the way Zverev’s game has improved over the last 12 months,” said the former British No 1.
“I was looking back at his Grand Slam results, and his game was going backwards.
“But he has transformed himself to be more aggressive, and when you reflect on this matchup, Zverev had beaten Shelton five times in a row.
“Shelton had to change the narrative, but Zverev looked so comfortable.
“Shelton did a great job getting that third set, but losing his serve first game of the fourth settled Zverev down and gave him more energy. He coasted to the line from there.”
Bartoli: Difference in experience was massive factor
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Sky Sports Tennis’ Marion Bartoli:
“The difference in their experience was absolutely massive,” said the former Wimbledon champion.
“When you look at the first game of the final, Ben Shelton won the toss, elected to serve, fell to 30-30, missed an easy shot and then double faulted to give away the first break straight away.
“Look, it’s not easy to come out in front of your home crowd and play your first ever Grand Slam final in those circumstances.
“Of course you have all the crowd for you, but you want to please them at the same time, put on a show and play your best tennis.
“Zverev made only one unforced error in the first set, and it just made Shelton’s life so difficult.
“There’s no shame losing to Zverev when Zverev is playing like this.”
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