Four-set victory in New York

World number two Alexander Zverev defeated eighth seed Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 to secure the 2026 US Open men's singles championship on Sunday. The match on Arthur Ashe Stadium lasted 3 hours and 33 minutes in front of a heavily partisan home crowd and celebrity attendees including Brad Pitt, Pierce Brosnan, and Lindsey Vonn. Zverev relied on steady baseline play and converted crucial break points in the fourth set to prevent Shelton from forcing a decider. The victory gave the 29-year-old from Hamburg his second Grand Slam singles crown of the season, following his French Open title in June against Flavio Cobolli. Zverev became the second German man to win the US Open singles title, following Boris Becker in 1989.

Delayed realization on match point

The final concluded with an unusual sequence when Shelton hit a return long on match point at 40-15 with Zverev serving at 5-2 in the fourth set. Instead of celebrating, Zverev hit the remaining tennis balls back across the net and prepared for the next game, unaware that the match was over. Umpire Marijana Veljovic had already called game, set, and match, but loud crowd noise prevented Zverev from hearing the announcement. Zverev looked toward the stadium scoreboard before raising his arms in celebration.

“I thought it was 5-1. I knew I'd broke him twice but I thought he'd only won one so I thought 'I'm going to have a nice service game and then get tight'.”

During the fourth set, Zverev also administered an insulin injection into his leg to manage his Type 1 diabetes, a condition diagnosed when he was four years old.

Service routine dispute

The match featured tactical friction regarding Zverev's preparation between serves. Shelton expressed frustration with the German's routine of bouncing the ball up to 25 times before serving. The 23-year-old American objected after umpire Veljovic instructed him to stand ready at the baseline well before Zverev began his motion. Shelton argued after the match that existing rules regulate only first serves with a 25-second clock, leaving second serves unrestricted.

“If he's bouncing the ball 20 to 25 times, I shouldn't have to just sit there for that. I think that there should be some sort of rule. I'm not sure exactly how you would do it, limiting time on second serve.”

Shelton noted that he tried to stay loose rather than holding a tensed receiving stance for 30 seconds during each opposing routine.

Extended drought for American men

Shelton reached his first Grand Slam final after defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals and Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in tournament records. His appearance made him the first Black American man to contest the New York final since Arthur Ashe won the title in 1968. The defeat extends the title drought for United States men in Grand Slam singles events into a 24th year, with Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open remaining the last American male winner. Shelton finished the tournament with unforced errors and serving difficulties in the decisive fourth set, while Zverev collected the trophy six years after his five-set loss to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 final.