Alexander Zverev wins U.S. Open, beating American Ben Shelton

Alexander Zverev captured the U.S. Open men’s singles championship on Sunday, defeating Ben Shelton in a four-set final that ended the American’s bid for a home victory. The German prevailed 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2, securing the trophy in front of a crowd that had loudly backed Shelton. It was Zverev’s second Grand Slam singles title of the year, following the breakthrough he achieved at the French Open.

The New York victory carried added weight for Zverev because it came in his first major tournament as the top seed. He met that position with an assured start, taking advantage while Shelton struggled to settle into his first championship match at a Slam. The early edge gave Zverev control of the contest, though the final did not remain one-sided throughout.

For the German, the opening phase established a useful margin against an opponent playing before strongly partisan support. Shelton’s early difficulties were significant because a major final offers little time to recover ground. Zverev’s task was not simply to take the opportunity, but to preserve his advantage when the American eventually found a higher level.

The second set provided a key test. With both players holding serve into the tiebreak, Zverev delivered an especially clean sequence on his own delivery and won the breaker 7-2. That result put him two sets ahead and left Shelton facing a demanding route back, even as the stands continued to urge the American forward.

Shelton did find a response in the third set. He claimed it 7-5, preventing Zverev from completing the match in straight sets and giving the final a renewed sense of possibility. The turnaround showed that the early nerves of a first major final had not defined his entire performance, while also giving the crowd a reason to believe a comeback might still develop.

That momentum did not carry through the closing set. Zverev re-established his advantage and took the fourth 6-2, stopping Shelton’s recovery attempt before it could become a full reversal. The four-set scoreline reflected the match’s changing rhythm: Zverev’s strong opening and tiebreak execution, Shelton’s third-set resistance, and then the German’s decisive finish.

For Zverev, the title transforms a season already marked by his first Grand Slam success in Paris. Winning the French Open had delivered the long-sought first major crown; adding the U.S. Open means he leaves the year with two of the sport’s biggest singles prizes. The result also supported his standing as the No. 1 seed at this event, a role he was occupying at a major for the first time.

Shelton entered the final after an exciting semifinal win over fellow American Francis Tiafoe. That victory had placed him within one match of a milestone for U.S. men’s tennis: no American man had won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick lifted the U.S. Open trophy in 2003. Shelton could not end that wait on Sunday, but his run carried the question into the final weekend.

His place in the match also had a separate historical dimension. Shelton was the first Black American man to reach a U.S. Open final since Arthur Ashe did so in 1972. The defeat does not alter that achievement, although it leaves an unavoidable caveat: the milestone came in a final won by the German rather than by the player receiving the loudest support inside the stadium.

The final leaves two distinct stories to follow. Zverev will be judged on whether he can sustain the form that brought consecutive major titles, while Shelton faces the challenge of turning a first Slam final appearance into another opportunity. Sunday supplied evidence for both perspectives: Zverev handled top-seed pressure and a late challenge, while Shelton recovered from a difficult beginning but found the closing stretch beyond reach.

Source: CBS World