Twenty-three years on from Andy Roddick's triumph in 2003, the American men's wait for a Grand Slam champion goes on. Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 to take the US Open title, the German claiming the second major of his career in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, the tournament's main showcourt in New York. Having already won this year's French Open, Zverev also laid to rest the bitter memory of the 2020 final on the same court, where he came within two points of the title against Dominic Thiem.
Shelton arrived at the decisive match carrying the weight of expectation, having knocked out the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and his compatriot Frances Tiafoe on the way there. The 23-year-old's moment came in the third set, where he recovered from 0-40 down, forced the break and closed the set out 7-5. Yet Zverev reclaimed the initiative almost immediately. He won a 24-shot rally at the start of the fourth set, shrugged off a warning for a time violation to strike a backhand for 3-1, and restored his control of the match. On match point Shelton could not get the return back, and Zverev sealed the championship to become a two-time Grand Slam winner in the 2026 season.
