Alexander Zverev finally won the US Open title he had chased for years by defeating American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the men’s final on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory gave the German
his second Grand Slam title of 2026 and of his career, coming just three months after his French Open triumph. Zverev, the top seed, started strong and took control early. He broke Shelton in the opening game and again late in the first set to take it 6-3. The second set stayed tight until the tiebreak, where the German dominated 7-2 with precise serving and clean hitting, including serves clocked up to 147 mph.
The American who was playing in his first major final and backed by a loud home crowd found his rhythm in the third. He broke Zverev late to win the set 7-5 and force a fourth. But the German broke Shelton early in the fourth and again later, dropping just four points on his own serve in the set. He closed it out 6-2 with an unreturned serve. He was so locked in that he initially thought the score was 5-1 and prepared to return the next point before the roar of the crowd told him the match was over.
Zverev’s name has been added to the wall of champions! ✍️ pic.twitter.com/HsuxxTFAWW
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
The win erased the pain of his 2020 US Open final loss and finished a remarkable year. He is a two-time champion with both the slams won this year. For German tennis, it marked the first men’s US Open title since Boris Becker in 1989.
‘God Has Seen How Hard We Worked’: Alexander Zverev Reflects on Grand Slam Breakthrough
Standing on court after the final, Alexander Zverev spoke with emotion and gratitude. He first turned to Ben Shelton, praising the American as an incredible player and an incredible person and predicting he would return to lift the trophy himself one day. Then he addressed the crowd that had clearly favored the home player: “I know that today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I’m very sorry. but it was an incredible atmosphere to play in.”
Proof that hard work pays off 👏 pic.twitter.com/NpYUww8X0H
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 14, 2026
To his own team, led by his father and brother he said the line that captured the moment: “We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam and now we won two in the span of three months. I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through, and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” he said
Zverev also paid heartfelt tribute to his mother. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age of four, he recalled doctors telling the family that sports would be limited. His mother refused to accept that limit. “It takes a very, very strong mother to walk out of those offices and say My son will be whatever he wants to be. This illness will not define us,” he said
This win added the US Open to his French Open title from June and a Wimbledon final appearance earlier in the summer. It was his first time as the No. 1 seed at a major, and he finished the tournament with a strong 25-2 record in Grand Slam matches for the year.
