Alexander Zverev Wins US Open, Extending U.S. Men’s Drought
Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the US Open men’s singles final Sunday, September 13, 2026, in New York, winning his first US Open title and the second major championship of his career.
The German followed his 2026 French Open victory with another Grand Slam title. Shelton, playing in his first major final, fell short of becoming the latest American man to win a Grand Slam singles championship.
American men’s drought continues
Shelton’s loss extended the wait for an American man to win a Grand Slam singles title. Andy Roddick remains the last U.S. men’s singles champion, after winning the 2003 US Open.
The US Open final had given Shelton a chance to end that drought on home soil. The 23-year-old American reached the championship match by defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals.
Historical significance for Shelton
Shelton’s run was also significant because he became the first Black American man to reach the US Open men’s singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. A victory would have made Shelton the first Black man to win the tournament’s men’s singles title since Ashe’s 1968 triumph.
That opportunity ended with Zverev’s four-set victory. Shelton nevertheless reached a major milestone with his first appearance in a Grand Slam final.
How the final unfolded
Zverev took control early, winning the opening set and then holding off Shelton in the second-set tiebreaker. Shelton responded by taking the third set 7-5, extending the match and keeping alive the possibility of a comeback.
Zverev answered in the fourth set, limiting Shelton’s chances and closing out the championship 6-2. The result confirmed Zverev as the 2026 US Open men’s singles champion and added New York to his French Open title from earlier in the year.
The tournament result is final. The broader implications for Shelton and American men’s tennis will unfold during the next ATP season, but the immediate historical markers are clear: Zverev now owns two major titles, while the United States remains without a men’s singles Grand Slam champion since Roddick’s 2003 US Open victory.
Sources
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