With a commanding performance, Alexander Zverev is the new King of New York after defeating Ben Shelton 3-1 (6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2) to Ben Shelton and rightfully claimed the US Open title.
This marks yet another huge success for the German in 2026, following his victory at Roland Garros in June. Zverev confirmed his superiority over Shelton, whom he defeated for the sixth consecutive time.
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In doing so, the 29-year-old became the first German to win the US Open since Boris Becker back in 1989, with his title coming after a dominant performance from start to finish.
Shelton fought hard but was never really in contention for the US Open title, failing to become the first American champion in 23 years since Andy Roddick.
Zverev took control of the first set early on, breaking serve right off the bat, while Shelton also committed a double fault at a crucial moment. The German maintained his lead, even though the American put him under pressure in the sixth game, reaching 0-30. In the ninth game, Zverev managed to break his opponent’s serve again, and with that second break, he took the set 6-3, securing the first set and a 1-0 lead.
The rest of the set was more competitive, as Shelton showed much greater consistency on his serve. In the fourth game, he faced a break point from Zverev but managed to fend it off. From that point on, neither player lost his serve, and the set went to 6-6 and, consequently, to a tiebreak. Zverev got off to a perfect start, quickly taking a 5-0 lead and leaving Shelton with no chance to respond, winning the tiebreak 7-2. Thus, he took the set 7-6 and found himself two sets away from claiming the title. It’s worth noting that up to that point, Shelton hadn’t won a single break point.
In the third set, the American came out with a different attitude and began to find his rhythm. His service games became more comfortable, and in the sixth game, he reached a break point for the first time in the final. Zverev, however, withstood the pressure, saved it, and tied the score at 3-3. Shelton didn’t give up and continued to press, now playing a much more aggressive game. His persistence paid off in the 11th game, when he managed to break serve with the score at 6-5 and re-enter the match with a vengeance.
Zverev, however, did not allow Shelton to complete the comeback. In the fourth set, the German once again improved his serving and significantly limited the American’s aggressiveness. A break gave him the lead he was looking for, while Shelton tried to stay close on the scoreboard and keep his hopes alive. Zverev, however, kept his cool in the decisive games, and with a second break, he essentially sealed his victory. He thus clinched the win and celebrated his US Open title.
*photo source: AP
