Alexander Zverev has won the 2026 US Open men’s singles title after defeating American Ben Shelton in four sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday.
The top-seeded German prevailed 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in a final that lasted three hours and 33 minutes, adding the US Open trophy to the French Open title he won earlier in the year.
The victory makes the 29-year-old Zverev only the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season.
Zverev made an immediate impact by breaking Shelton’s serve in the opening game before using his strong first serve and consistent baseline play to control the match.
He dominated the second-set tiebreak to take a commanding two-set lead, but Shelton responded in the third set, winning 7-5 as the New York crowd backed the eighth-seeded American’s bid to end a 23-year wait for a US men’s Grand Slam champion.
Zverev, however, quickly regained control in the fourth set, breaking Shelton’s serve at the start before maintaining his composure to close out the match 6-2.
The German was so composed on championship point that he initially did not realise that an unreturned serve had secured the title.
The triumph also represents a significant personal milestone for Zverev, who had previously lost the 2020 US Open final after holding a two-set lead.
Shelton, playing in his first Grand Slam final, produced several spells of powerful serving and aggressive forehand play but struggled to consistently unsettle Zverev.
The victory improved Zverev’s head-to-head record against Shelton to 6-0 and took his record in major matches this season to 25-2.
Zverev also collected $5.5 million in prize money for winning the tournament.
During his on-court remarks, the German thanked his team and reflected on the lengthy wait for a Grand Slam title, noting that his team had gone three decades without one before securing two in the space of three months.
The US Open triumph caps a remarkable season for Zverev, who also reached the Wimbledon final, and strengthens his position in the battle for the year-end world No. 1 ranking.
For Shelton, the defeat means Andy Roddick remains the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title, with the drought now extending back to 2003.
