Long accustomed to falling short in Grand Slam finals, world No. 2 Alexander Zverev finally won his first US Open title on Sunday, September 13, adding a second major trophy to his Roland-Garros triumph earlier this season.
Although he dropped a set, the 29-year-old German looked firmly in control for much of the final as he beat ninth-ranked American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-2. Shelton, 23, was playing in his first Grand Slam final.
“It was your first Grand Slam final, but I already told you that you will come back here again, again and again. And if I had to bet all my money on it, I would bet that one day you will be the one lifting this trophy,” the 1.98-meter Hamburg native told Shelton.
Zverev was playing in his third consecutive Grand Slam final after winning in Paris and losing to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner at Wimbledon. He finally triumphed in New York, where his painful history in Grand Slam finals had begun six years ago.
In an Arthur Ashe Stadium emptied by the COVID-19 pandemic, the then-23-year-old Zverev was beaten in five sets by Austria’s Dominic Thiem after taking a two-set lead and moving to within two points of victory.
“Being able to finally lift this trophy is an incredible feeling,” Zverev said after Sunday’s victory, “especially after the heartbreak of 2020 here.”
That defeat was followed by two more disappointments, in the 2024 French Open final against Carlos Alcaraz and the 2025 Australian Open final against Jannik Sinner.
But Zverev finally won his first Roland-Garros title in June, edging Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in a five-set thriller.
“The best in the world this year”
Critics will point out that Zverev won in Paris without Carlos Alcaraz, who was sidelined by a right wrist injury, and without a fully fit Jannik Sinner, who was beaten in the second round.
Sinner was also absent in New York with a knee injury, while Alcaraz, who lost to Shelton in the quarterfinals, was returning to the tour after more than four months out.
“A second Grand Slam title, two in a single year. You are one of the very best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year,” Shelton told Zverev graciously after the defeat.
True to the pattern of his career, Zverev came from a difficult start to win at Flushing Meadows, following a turbulent North American swing and a sluggish opening to the tournament that saw him go five sets in his first two rounds against lower-ranked opponents.
On Sunday, Zverev put aside his past demons and the Arthur Ashe crowd, which was firmly behind Shelton. The American could have become the first US player to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open.
But the Atlanta native was denied his main weapon in the opening set: his serve. He lost both of his service games on double faults, with the first set lasting just 40 minutes.
Zverev thrives against left-handers
Unfortunately for the American, Zverev has an excellent record against left-handers, having won 44 of his previous 45 matches against them before the final. With his strong backhand, he easily neutralized Shelton’s cross-court forehand and dictated the pace of the rallies.
Forced into a tiebreak in the second set, the German again showed complete control. He hit four unreturned serves on his own service points and two winners against Shelton’s serve to take a 5-0 lead. He only had to close out the set on his own serve.
Driven by pride, Shelton pushed harder in the third set and earned three set points on Zverev’s serve. He converted the second, then pointed to his ear to ask the crowd for more noise as Arthur Ashe Stadium erupted at the prospect of seeing its favorite prolong the match.
But the experienced German immediately broke Shelton’s serve at the start of the fourth set and tightened his game through the finish, committing just two unforced errors compared with 11 for his opponent. Zverev sealed the match with yet another unreturned serve, without even realizing that he had just won the tournament.
After a few seconds of confusion, the tension disappeared from the Hamburg native’s face, replaced by a broad smile — the smile of a two-time Grand Slam champion.
