Alexander Zverev clinched his second major title, leaving American male players without a Grand Slam victory since 2003. He defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 in the U.S. Open final on Sunday. Zverev triumphed in this year’s French Open and secured the New York title he narrowly missed in 2020.
As the top seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, Zverev took advantage of Shelton’s shaky start in his debut major final. He dominated the tiebreaker and thwarted Shelton’s comeback in front of an enthusiastic crowd. Shelton aimed to be the first American male champion since 2003 and the first Black player since Arthur Ashe in 1968.
Zverev’s stellar performance this year earned him a 25-2 record in major matches and a $5.5 million prize, equalling the largest amount in Grand Slam history. Despite thinking he would win in 2020, Zverev acknowledged the title should have come earlier. He overcame the disappointment of losing the 2020 final after leading by two sets against Dominic Thiem.
Zverev’s victory at the US Open marked the end of any lingering doubts from his past failures. He also reached the Wimbledon final, finishing as the runner-up to Jannik Sinner. Shelton, who eliminated the defending champion in a record-breaking late-night quarterfinal, fell short in his bid to defeat the top two seeds on his way to the U.S. Open title.
The match concluded with Zverev’s victory, despite a brief moment of confusion where he did not realize he had won, before celebrating his triumph with raised arms.
