Alexander Zverev won the US Open 2026 by defeating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 29-year-old German claimed his second Grand Slam title of the season after Roland-Garros in June, becoming the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first two major titles in the same year.
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Total control through the first two sets
Zverev dictated play from the opening game. In the first set, Shelton committed 11 unforced errors compared to just three for the German, who executed his game plan flawlessly. The second set proved tighter but was settled in a lopsided tiebreak where Zverev conceded only two points (7-2), demonstrating his ability to raise his level when it mattered most. Before the end of the third set, the world No. 1 had faced just a single break point across the entire match.
Shelton steals a set before bowing out
Ben Shelton found a crack in the third set by breaking Zverev's serve for the first time in 66 consecutive service games at this tournament. The 24-year-old American, playing in his first Grand Slam final, brought Arthur Ashe Stadium to its feet by taking the set 7-5. The momentum shift did not survive the changeover: Zverev opened the fourth set with a break sealed at the end of a 24-shot rally, setting the tone for a one-sided set that he closed out 6-2.
Zverev's New York redemption
This title carries special significance for Zverev. In 2020, on this same court, he led Dominic Thiem by two sets before collapsing in five, letting what should have been his first major title slip away. Six years later, the German has set the record straight with remarkable composure. His serving dominance, barely dented by the single break conceded in the third set, reflects a transformed mental fortitude. Zverev joins Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (1977) and Jannik Sinner (2024) as the only men to win their first two Grand Slam titles in the same season.
Key numbers from the final
Zverev pockets $5.5 million in prize money, a Grand Slam record. His career record against Shelton now stands at 6-0, having won 13 of the last 14 sets in their head-to-head. Shelton, despite the defeat, becomes the first American man in a US Open final since Andy Roddick in 2006. The search for a first American men's Grand Slam title since Roddick's 2003 US Open triumph continues.
