NEW YORK — Alexander Zverev finally erased one of the biggest disappointments of his career.
The German top seed defeated American Ben Shelton, 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2, on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium to capture the 2026 US Open men’s singles championship, securing his first title in New York and the second Grand Slam crown of his career.
The victory was particularly significant for Zverev because the US Open had previously been the site of one of his most painful defeats. In 2020, he led Dominic Thiem by two sets in the final before eventually losing in five sets.
Six years later, Zverev returned to the same stage and this time refused to let the opportunity slip away.
The 29-year-old German controlled the match for long stretches with his powerful serve, baseline consistency and ability to absorb Shelton’s explosive attacks. He took the opening set 6-3 and then survived a tight second-set tiebreak, 7-2, putting himself within one set of the championship.
Shelton, however, refused to go quietly.
Playing in his first Grand Slam final, the 23-year-old American fought back in the third set, taking advantage of his aggressive serving and powerful groundstrokes to win it 7-5 and send the match into a fourth-set battle.
But Zverev regained control when it mattered most.
The German broke through in the fourth set and pulled away to win 6-2, closing out a comeback story of his own and ending Shelton’s bid to deliver an American men’s Grand Slam championship on home soil.
Shelton’s Historic Run Falls Just Short
Despite the loss, Shelton’s run to the final was one of the biggest stories of the tournament.
The American stunned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic quarterfinal before defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals to reach his first Grand Slam final. His semifinal victory also guaranteed that a Black American man would return to the US Open men’s singles final for the first time since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
Shelton entered the final carrying an even bigger opportunity: becoming the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win a Grand Slam singles title. That drought will now continue for another year.
His defeat does not erase what was an extraordinary breakthrough tournament. Shelton showed that he belongs among the sport’s elite and emerged from New York as one of the most dangerous young players in men’s tennis.
Zverev’s Remarkable Grand Slam Turnaround
For Zverev, the US Open triumph caps a remarkable transformation in his Grand Slam season.
He began 2026 as the No. 1 seed in New York and endured difficult opening rounds, including five-set victories in his first two matches. According to the official US Open, he had spent a tournament-record amount of time on court before reaching the semifinals, yet he steadily raised his level as the tournament progressed.
Zverev eventually defeated Karen Khachanov in straight sets in the semifinals to reach his second US Open final.
He then completed the job against Shelton.
The title also adds to what has already been a breakthrough year at the majors. Zverev won the French Open earlier in 2026, giving him two Grand Slam championships in the same season. Reuters described the victory as a major career turnaround after years of disappointment in Grand Slam finals.
The German had previously gone 0-3 in Grand Slam finals before finally winning his maiden major at Roland Garros. He has now won two of the year’s four Grand Slam tournaments.
The American Wait Continues
Zverev’s victory also preserved one of the longest active droughts in men’s tennis.
No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Roddick captured the 2003 US Open. Shelton came closer than any American man in this tournament, but Zverev’s four-set victory kept the drought alive.
For Zverev, meanwhile, the meaning was much more personal.
He returned to the court where he once came agonizingly close to becoming a Grand Slam champion. This time, there was no collapse, no fifth-set heartbreak and no missed opportunity.
New York finally belongs to Alexander Zverev.
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