Alexander Zverev cemented his status as a major force in tennis this year by capturing the US Open men’s singles title in New York. The German player’s 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 victory on Sunday earned him his second Grand Slam championship of the season, following his breakthrough triumph at the French Open.
The loss for 23-year-old Ben Shelton extended a long drought for American men, who have remained without a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick’s win at Flushing Meadows in 2003. Shelton had been aiming to become the first American man to break this streak and the first Black man to claim the trophy since Arthur Ashe in 1968.
Zverev, entering a Grand Slam as the number one seed for the first time, utilized a dominant tiebreak and steady baseline play to stifle Shelton’s attempt at a comeback. The match concluded in an unusual fashion: after winning the final point on his own serve, Zverev initially returned to the baseline, seemingly unaware that the match was over, before eventually celebrating his second major title.
Reflecting on the achievement, an emotional Zverev highlighted the significance of the 2026 season for his career. “We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title, and then won two in the span of three months,” he noted, referencing his French Open victory. “I think God has seen how hard we have worked and suffered, and the pain we went through. 2026 was the outcome for everything that we went through before.”
The champion also took time to pay tribute to his mother, describing how she supported him through a childhood diagnosis of diabetes. “When your four-year-old son gets diagnosed with diabetes, and that sport will be difficult, it takes a very strong mother to say that he will be whatever he wants to be. This illness will not define us,” he said, expressing gratitude for her influence on his life and career.
Despite the competitive tension on the court, Zverev offered encouragement to his opponent, asserting that the young American has the potential to win the tournament in the future. Shelton, who remained visibly somber after the final, shifted his focus to the support system that accompanied him during the run.
“To do this with my family by my side,” Shelton remarked regarding his support team. “These four guys have dedicated their lives to my career. It is an unmatched level of commitment.” The victory marks a significant redemption for Zverev, who had previously come close to winning the US Open title in 2020 before falling just short. The report also notes that zverev finally broke through in the majors by winning this year’s French Open and followed up by adding the title in New York that he so painfully let slip away in 2020.
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