Alexander Zverev captured his first US Open title by defeating American finalist Ben Shelton 6:3, 7:6, 5:7, 6:2 on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows in New York, securing his second grand slam crown of the season after his triumph at Roland Garros.
The 29-year-old German top seed navigated a peculiar conclusion to the championship match, momentarily unaware that championship point had concluded the contest before celebrating his milestone victory.
Zverev Claims Second Major Crown of the Season
With this victory in New York, Alexander Zverev added a US Open title to his earlier success on the clay of Roland Garros. The triumph also marked his sixth career victory in as many encounters against Ben Shelton, cementing a dominant head-to-head record over the American left-hander. For Zverev, the win at Flushing Meadows successfully repaired the heartbreak of his 2020 finishing run, when he dropped a five-set championship match to Austrian player Dominic Thiem.
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Furthermore, the victory elevated Zverev into rare historical company. By lifting the trophy in New York, he matched the legendary achievement of Boris Becker, becoming the first German player to capture the men’s singles title at the US Open since Becker accomplished the feat in 1989.
Shelton and the Ongoing American Drought
Ben Shelton entered the championship match as the tournament’s eighth seed, stepping onto the court for his first-ever appearance in a major singles final.
Despite taking the third set to break Zverev’s rhythm, Shelton’s late surge faded as the top seed regrouped decisively in the fourth set. The defeat extends a long-standing drought for American men’s tennis at Flushing Meadows. The last American player to capture the men’s singles championship at the US Open remains Andy Roddick, who lifted the trophy in 2003.
Tournament Context and Financial Scale
The tournament played out on the outdoor hard courts of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, operating under a total tournament financial commitment and purse of $108 million. The event drew massive crowds throughout the two-week schedule, culminating in a prime-time showcase that pitted the world’s elite against local rising stars.
