Zverev ends six-year wait with US Open triumph

Alexander Zverev ended a six-year wait for US Open glory by beating home favourite Ben Shelton 6–3, 7–6 (7–2), 5–7, 6–2 in the final in New York to claim his second Grand Slam title.

The German, who won his maiden major at the French Open in June, has now captured two Grand Slam titles within three months. He also became only the fourth man in the Open Era to win the first two Grand Slam tournaments of a calendar year, joining Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas and Jannik Sinner.

The victory erased the pain of Zverev’s 2020 US Open final defeat, when he surrendered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem. Since making his Grand Slam debut at the 2014 US Open, Zverev had reached three major finals and six semi-finals before finally breaking through in 2026.

The season has now become a landmark one for the 29-year-old. After reaching the Australian Open semi-finals, he won his first Grand Slam at Roland Garros and then reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Sinner. He entered the US Open as the top seed.

Zverev faced no top-20 opponent on his way to the final, with ninth seed Shelton proving his first major test. The American had hoped to end the United States’ 23-year wait for a men’s singles champion in New York, with Andy Roddick the last American to win the title in 2003.

Shelton also had a chance to become the first Black US Open men’s singles champion since Arthur Ashe in 1968. But after losing serve with a double fault in the opening game, he struggled to match Zverev’s consistency. Shelton fought back to take the third set, but another early break in the fourth put Zverev firmly in control.