-
Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to win the 2026 US Open and claim his second Grand Slam title of the season.
-
The victory completed Zverev’s redemption in New York, six years after he surrendered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 final.
-
Shelton’s bid to end the United States’ 23-year wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion ended in defeat, although the 23-year-old reached his first major final.
-
Zverev’s triumph caps a remarkable transformation in 2026 after the German entered the season with questions over whether he would ever win a Grand Slam title.
September 14, (THEWILL) – Alexander Zverev has completed one of the biggest turnarounds of his career by beating Ben Shelton to win the 2026 US Open, adding another Grand Slam title to a season that has transformed his standing in men’s tennis.
The top seed overcame Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in front of a partisan Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that had hoped to see an American man end a 23-year wait for a major singles champion.
Instead, Zverev produced the composure that had previously deserted him on the biggest stages to secure his second Grand Slam title of the year.
The German had already broken through at Roland Garros earlier in the season and has now followed that success with another major trophy in New York.
Zverev Finally Conquers His US Open Demons
Six years after his painful defeat to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final, Zverev returned to the same stage with a very different mindset.
That 2020 defeat had become one of the defining disappointments of his career. Zverev had led Thiem by two sets before eventually losing in five, raising further questions about whether he could convert his immense talent into Grand Slam success.
Those questions have now largely disappeared.
After winning the French Open earlier this year, Zverev arrived in New York as the top seed and gradually grew into the tournament despite a difficult opening fortnight that included several late finishes and demanding matches.
He eventually reached the final without facing a top-20 opponent until Shelton.
Against the American, his experience proved decisive.
READ ALSO:
Shelton Pushes Back but Zverev Holds Firm
Zverev immediately put pressure on Shelton, breaking in the opening game after the American double-faulted on break point.
That early setback allowed the German to dictate much of the opening set, using his first serve and patient baseline play to expose Shelton’s weaker backhand.
Zverev took the first set 6-3 and then edged a tight second set through another composed tie-break, winning it 7-2.
At that point, the German appeared to be heading towards a straightforward victory.
Olumide Atiba is a sports journalist with THEWILL, known for his keen news sense and compelling storytelling. He has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, well-structured reports that resonate with readers, with a strong focus on football coverage
