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Alexander Zverev didn't know that he had won the US Open title, and it took him seconds to realise it. The German secured his first US Open men’s singles title, defeating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The top-seeded German, who earlier this year won the French Open, added a second Grand Slam of 2026 and exorcised the memory of his 2020 final defeat in New York.
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Watch: Zverev claims US Open title, but too focused to even realise it; beats Shelton to win 2nd Grand Slam
The victory also extended the long drought for American men at majors, with no US player having claimed a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003. Zverev controlled much of the match with strong serving and consistent baseline play. After dropping the third set, he broke early in the fourth and closed out the contest with an unreturned serve.
Such was his concentration that he initially failed to realise the match was over, remaining ready for the next point before the realisation set in and he celebrated. The player was too focused, but the crowd started celebrating his win. Zverev looked at the crowd, which made him wonder about the reason behind their cheerful chants. That was when he realised that it was for him, as he won his second Grand Slam title.
Reflecting on the incident, Zverev, as per a report in ESPN, said:
"In that moment I was in the zone, a lot.”
The two-time Grand Slam champion added:
"I didn't hear noise at all. I was in this kind of tunnel where I just didn't hear anything."
Shelton, competing in his first major final, fought back with powerful groundstrokes but could not overcome Zverev’s experience in the decisive stages. The win marks a significant milestone in Zverev’s career after years of near-misses at the highest level. The player finally won this major on US soil six years after the heartbreak in the final.
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