Top seed Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday, 13 September 2026, to win his first US Open title at Flushing Meadows and complete the transformation of a season that began with him still searching for a major breakthrough. It was the German's second Grand Slam crown, and both have come in the same campaign. Shelton, playing his first Grand Slam final, had lifted the crowd with a stubborn stand. One game from defeat at 6-5 in the third set, he finally broke through, pounding his forehand and forcing a fourth set. But Zverev broke serve immediately at the start of the fourth and the outcome was never again in doubt. Zverev now leads Shelton 6-0 in their head-to-head. The two biggest servers in the match went in opposite directions: Zverev landed 69 percent of first serves and won 85 percent of first-serve points, while Shelton double-faulted on break point in the opening game and again on set point in the first. ## Tiebreak Decides a Tense Second Set Zverev's superiority told most decisively in the second-set tie-break. He snatched the first mini-break with an excellent forehand passing-shot winner off a timid approach from Shelton, then ended another tense exchange with a down-the-line forehand for the second mini-break, and two big unreturned serves later led 5-0 in the tie-break. Shelton's usually devastating serve deserted him with four double faults, and he lost four of six break-point chances, while USA chants and Gator-chomping college fans drew a scolding from chair umpire Marijana Veljovic. ## A Transformational Year Zverev becomes just the fourth man in the open era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season, after Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas and Jannik Sinner. He reached three major finals this year without facing Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz, whose injuries shaped a season in which few rivals managed to mount a consistent challenge at the top. The victory also ended Shelton's bid to become the first American man to win the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003, and the first Black American man to lift the title since Arthur Ashe in 1968. Shelton's summer still stands as the best of his career: a second Masters 1000 crown at the Canadian Open, a first major final and a new career-high ranking of No 4. ## The Drought Continues The US men's Grand Slam drought now stretches past 22 years. "Disappointed with how today went," Shelton said in his press conference afterward. "Excited with the progress that I feel that I've made. But, yeah, this one stings 100%." Zverev, addressing the crowd, told the runner-up his time would come. "Ben, I already told you you're going to be back here many, many more times if I would have to bet my money on it," he said in his acceptance speech. "I would bet that you would lift this trophy one day." In the women's event, Elena Rybakina beat two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka to win her first US Open title and take the world No 1 ranking, while Britain's Jack Draper announced he will not play again this season.