NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, September 15, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
First in Paris and Sunday in New York, Alexander Zverev finally found what he’s been looking for – a sense of fulfillment, and the idea that he could become a tennis champion.
After years of chasing after the Big Three of tennis – Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic – Zverev had become an outlier among the New Two Generation of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who captured all of the 2024 and 2025 major titles. Zverev knew all too well what it was like to lose major finals to both talented stars of the men’s game.
So, it probably came as a sense of relief Sunday evening on Arthur Ashe Stadium, before a full house of nearly 24,000 fans – many of whom cheered for his opponent – that the top-seeded Zverev won his first US Open title. It happened nearly six years to the day after he agonizingly lost a five-set thriller to Dominic Thiem back in 2000, in an empty stadium during the coronavirus pandemic, in which he failed to serve out the victory after he built a two-sets-to-none lead against the Austrian star.
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This time, the World No. 2 Zverev defeated World No. 9 Ben Shelton of the United States, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2, in three hours and 33 minutes to claim his second Grand Slam title of the year – and of his career – after winning the French Open in June.
Shelton, the first American Black man to appear in a US Open final since Ashe in 1972, was attempting not only to be the first American Black man to win the US Open since Ashe won it in 1968, but also to be the first American man – period – since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win a US Open crown.
“I don’t feel like I’m the most talented in any way. I don’t think I have God-given talent like some other guys. I think most of my tennis is through hard work, through a lot of hours spent on the court and through a lot of hours spent in the gym and on the track. That’s how I play tennis,” Zverev said during his champion’s news conference.
Proof that hard work pays off 👏 pic.twitter.com/NpYUww8X0H
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 14, 2026
In a separate interview with ESPN, Zverev added: “I feel like maybe God has seen how much we struggled as a team on the tennis court – how many heartbreaks we’ve had. ‘You know what? This is your year. Just enjoy it. Everything is going to happen the way you want it to happen.’ I’m enjoying playing tennis right now. …‘
“Three months ago, if you would have told me you’re going to win one major in your career, I would have signed that paper, and I would have been, like, ‘yeah, perfect, great.’ But now sitting here with two trophies in three months, that’s unbelievable.”
It takes a team 🙌#USOpen | @AlexZverev pic.twitter.com/ZDmPkDPlR9
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 13, 2026
From first ball to last during the New York City fortnight, Zverev played the draw he was dealt – and he scored victories over Lorenzo Sonego, Quentin Halys, Alejandro Tabilo, Luciano Darderi, Botic van de Zandschulp, Karen Khachanov and Shelton. Only Darderi and Shelton were seeded, 21st and eighth, respectively. Each of Zverev’s first two wins stretched across five sets and Sonego came to within a couple of points of a massive first-round upset of the German star.
“After the second round, me and my fitness trainer were doing he ice bath, and we just started laughing,” Zverev recalled in his ESPN interview. “And I said, ‘Why are we both laughing?’ And he was like, ‘Because you are playing so bad. It’s diabolical to sit there and watch you playing tennis right now compared to how you were playing this summer.’ I kind of relaxed after that … in the third round, I started playing much better, feeling much better. I lost only one set from there, so it was almost a perfect tournament.”
HE DIDN’T REALIZE HE’D WON 🏆
Alexander Zverev exorcises his 2020 demons and defeats Shelton 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 to win his first US Open title! pic.twitter.com/f0Cnl2xvgI
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
Zverev’s conquest of the 23-year-old lefty Shelton in the title match was his sixth triumph in six meetings against the American No.1. Although Shelton finally broke Zverev’s serve for the first time in five matches, when he snapped his opponent’s 66-set unbroken streak, the German No. 1 never wavered. Zverev won 85 percent of his first-serve points, struck 35 winners, and hit solidly from both wings. By all metrics, he was playing just as strong at the end of the final as he was in the beginning.
“He’s got the best serve in tennis,” Shelton said of Zverev, during his post-match news conference. “I broke him today for the first time in 66 games. I think you combine that with as good as he is a tennis player outside the serve, how complete he is. He’s gotten so much better at the net. He’s an elite mover at 6-foot-6. He’s got a lot of length, so he returns really well. Solid from the baseline and one of the fittest guys on tour, too. Yeah, he’s a tough guy to play, 100 percent.”
Raise it high, @AlexZverev 🏆#USOpen pic.twitter.com/rLpAhskAlU
— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 13, 2026
While it remains to be seen whether Zverev has made enough strides to overcome Sinner (he’s 0-10 against the current World No. 1 since 2024) and Alcaraz (2-4 since 2024), when they’re back in full health and fitness, nothing can take away what the 29-year-old from Hamburg has accomplished this year – finally becoming a Grand Slam champion, not once but twice.
“I think the scars of the 2020 final, they kind of disappeared after I won in Paris,” Zverev said in his news conference. “In Wimbledon, even though I lost the final, I enjoyed the match. I enjoyed being in the Grand Slam final. I enjoyed playing on Centre Court. I enjoyed playing in front of an amazing crowd, in front of some celebrities and all that. Whereas before winning in Paris, I felt a lot of stress all the time, because there was always a question mark: will I ever win one? What I think now is it’s just more of a joy to play these finals.”
The bottom line, as Zverev told Roddick in his ESPN interview, all the while clutching the champion’s trophy: “As long as I win, I’m happy.”
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By the numbers
When Alexander Zverev secured the 2026 US Open singles title Sunday evening, he became the second German player in the Open Era (since 1968) to win multiple men’s singles titles at Grand Slams in a season, after Boris Becker, who won Wimbledon and the US Open in 1989. Zverev is also the second German male in the Open Era to win the US Open after Becker.
“Quotable …”
“In that moment, I was in the zone a lot. I didn’t hear noise at all. I was in this kind of tunnel where I just didn’t hear anything. Also, when the crowd is loud, it’s impossible to hear the umpire, so I didn’t hear that she said, ‘Game, set, match.’ At the end of the day, I think, I just forgot the score. I just thought it was 5-1 instead of 6-2, which helped me in that last game. I didn’t get nervous. I just miscounted the score.”
– New US Open champion Alexander Zverev of Germany, during his champion’s new conference, explaining how he didn’t realize he had won the title until he looked around Arthur Ashe Stadium, with his team – father Alexander Sr., and older brother Mischa – telling him the match was over.
Have you ever seen such a championship point reaction?! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/QgpxrwLpXZ
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
