Zverev US Open Champion 2026

The championship was his. Alexander Zverev just needed a moment to catch up.

After delivering the service winner that ended the US Open final, Zverev remained near the baseline, apparently preparing for another point. Then realization arrived. His arms rose, and the concentration finally gave way to a smile. After three hours and 32 minutes, there was nothing left to chase.

Zverev, 29, defeated American Ben Shelton, 23, 6–3, 7–6 (2), 5–7, 6–2 on Sunday, Sept. 13, capturing his first US Open championship and second Grand Slam title. His breakthrough at Roland Garros had come just 98 days earlier, on June 7.

The opening set turned on two costly deliveries. Shelton double-faulted to surrender his first service game, then repeated the mistake on set point. Between those errors, Zverev established the pattern: firm groundstrokes, pressure on the American’s returns and service games Shelton struggled to threaten.

The second set tightened. Shelton found more rhythm, attacked the net and forced a tiebreak. Then Zverev accelerated.

A forehand passing shot helped him reach 2–0. A backhand winner made it 3–0. Two forceful serves pushed the advantage to 5–0. Shelton recovered two points, but Zverev closed the breaker 7–2. New York’s favorite had fought his way to the decisive passage, only to watch the German take control.

Yet Shelton was still fighting.

Serving at 5–6 in the third, Zverev slipped to 0–40. He saved one set point, then sent a forehand volley wide. Shelton had finally broken him—and suddenly Arthur Ashe Stadium had a comeback to encourage.

The historical parallel was unavoidable: Zverev had also led Dominic Thiem by two sets in the 2020 final before losing. This time, his response came immediately. A 24-shot exchange helped deliver an opening break in the fourth set. He consolidated, then broke again for 5–2. Shelton’s revival had met a firm answer.

When the final serve settled matters, Zverev became the second German man to win the US Open, following Boris Becker in 1989.

Then the champion’s attention turned to his mother. Living with type 1 diabetes since childhood, he credited her determination that the diagnosis would never dictate his future.

“My mother is the most important and strongest person I know,” he said.

For Zverev, the trophy belonged to a lifetime of belief—and to the woman who helped make that belief possible.