NEW YORK — Alexander Zverev’s best year in tennis goes on, and so does that lengthy Grand Slam drought for American men.
Zverev won his second major championship, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday in the U.S. Open final, disappointing a crowd that was desperate to see the first Grand Slam title by an American man since 2003,
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.
The No. 1 seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, he capitalized on Shelton’s shaky start in his first major final, played a nearly flawless tiebreaker on serve and then turned back Shelton’s comeback attempt in front of a crowd that desperately cheered him on.
Shelton was trying to win the first title by an American man since Andy Roddick won in Flushing Meadows in 2003, as well as become the first Black player to win the men’s crown since Arthur Ashe in 1968.
But Zverev was too good in majors this year and apparently didn’t even know how good he was. He finished the match on his serve but didn’t seem to realize it, dropping back behind the baseline as if set to return. Only a few moments later did he figure out he had won, raising his arms in celebration.
Zverev improved to 25-2 in major matches this year and won $5.5 million, matching the prize earned by women’s champion Elena Rybakina on Saturday as the largest in Grand Slam history.
He thought this title would come in 2020 and still acknowledges it should have. He won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem and got within two points of victory before becoming the first man to blow a two-set lead and lose in the final since 1949.
Whatever ghosts were left from then are long gone now.
Zverev also reached the final at Wimbledon, falling to Jannik Sinner, and became the No. 1 seed in New York when the top-ranked Sinner had to withdraw with a knee injury.
Shelton had already eliminated the defending champion when he beat Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in U.S. Open history.
But he fell short on Sunday in his attempt to become the first man to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds en route to the U.S. Open title since 1975.
The No. 8 seed fell to 0-6 against Zverev, winning a set Sunday for only the second time.
The 23-year-old Shelton figures to get more chances, but Americans who have grown tired of waiting to celebrate a men’s title wanted it now.
Fans stood and screamed when Shelton emerged from the tunnel before the match, but he didn’t give them any reason to keep the cheers going once play began. Serving first, he lost the opening two points and then eventually handed the game to Zverev with a double-fault.
Zverev maintained that lead the rest of the set, which ended on another double-fault by Shelton.
Zverev’s deliberate playing style helped limit the crowd’s effectiveness. Fans are expected to quiet down as a player is preparing to serve and stay quiet until the ensuing point has completed.
Women’s champion: Rybakina’s victory over Aryna Sabalenka could be a sign of more to come.
The 27-year-old who was born in Russia but represents Kazakhstan is on top of her game, with two Grand Slam titles in 2026. She beat Sabalenka in both finals, and even the former No. 1 concedes it would be tough to get back to the top if Rybakina stays at the level she displayed in Flushing Meadows.
“She continues to play like that, then yeah, I’m in trouble,” Sabalenka said.
The 28-year-old from Belarus had won the previous two U.S. Open titles, appeared in three straight finals and reached at least the semifinals every year since 2021. Rybakina, meanwhile, had never even gotten past the fourth round before this year.
“For some reason, New York wasn’t my best place for tennis for the past years,” Rybakina said, “but definitely now it changed.”
So much has at the top of women’s tennis.
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