Zverev caps transformational year with US Open triumph

Alexander Zverev used his greater experience to beat home hope Ben Shelton in the US Open final and quiet a partisan crowd hoping to laud a rare American men's champion.

German top seed Zverev lifted a heavy burden by winning his first major title at this year's French Open and has quickly added another with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) 5-7 6-2 victory over Shelton in New York.

At the start of the season, there were question marks over whether 29-year-old Zverev would ever win one of the sport's biggest prizes.

Now he is celebrating becoming a multiple Grand Slam singles champion, having seen the path to glory partially cleared by injuries to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner and Alcaraz swept the board between them at the majors in 2024 and 2025 - and Zverev has taken full advantage against the rest of the field in their absences.

Big-hitting Shelton has long been identified as a player who can win the most prestigious titles, but ultimately came up short in his first Grand Slam final against a rejuvenated Zverev.

Eighth seed Shelton was aiming to become the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003, but losing serve in the first game of the match set the tone as Zverev controlled the opening two sets.

The momentum shifted in the third set, however, as Shelton finally started applying serious pressure on Zverev's serve.

Taking his third break opportunity provided encouragement to the 24,000 home fans on Arthur Ashe Stadium, but Zverev quickly reasserted his authority early in the fourth to extinguish American dreams.

Zverev did not initially know he had secured victory when Shelton hit a return long on championship point, only breaking out into a broad and slightly surprised smile after his team pointed out the score to him.

At the start of the season, few people would have backed Zverev to win two Grand Slams, with the German having already lost three major finals in a career which looked in danger of not living up to expectation.

But injuries to his biggest rivals - Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon, with Sinner ruled out of the US Open - opened the door for Zverev.

A below-par Zverev scraped through the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows in a series of early-morning finishes, but he gradually improved over a fortnight where he did not play a top-20 opponent until Shelton.

Zverev had not dropped a set against Shelton in all five of their previous meetings and immediately capitalised on a nervy start by his opponent.

Shelton double-faulted on break point in the first game of the match, handing over the type of initiative that opponents often struggle to wrestle back from Zverev.

Through the strength of his first serve, and his ability to unpick Shelton's weaker backhand in the baseline exchanges, Zverev rolled through the opening set and clinched it when Shelton hit another double fault on set point.

Zverev edged the second set in a similar manner - this time without being gifted a break when his only opportunity arrived in the fourth game.

He instead showed why he has a strong tie-break record with another nerveless display and, unlike in the 2020 US Open final when he lost from a two-set lead, kept his composure in the pressure moments to secure a commanding victory.

Addressing his team which is led by his father Alexander senior and brother Mischa, Zverev said: "We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now won two in the span of three months.

"I think God has seen how hard we have worked, how hard we have suffered and how much pain we went through.

"I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before."

Despite the bitter disappointment of losing Sunday's showpiece, Shelton will take pride from his run to a first major final, as well as belief he can win a Grand Slam title.

Shelton came into the tournament with confidence after winning the Canadian Open last month, but also with a point to prove after an underwhelming season at the Grand Slams.

A chastening first-round exit at Wimbledon against Finnish qualifier Otto Virtanen was described by Shelton as "one of the toughest losses" of his career, acting as a wake-up call going into the North American hard court swing.

He has bounced back superbly to come close to ending America's 23-year wait for somebody to finally follow in Roddick's footsteps.

Shelton did not have an easy route to the final, needing to overcome a series of big-hitting opponents which included three former top-10 players as well as seven-time major champion Alcaraz.

Shelton had never beaten a top-three opponent until powering past Alcaraz - who was playing in his first tournament for almost five months - in an epic quarter-final which ended at 3:34am.

However, he could not double that tally against world number two Zverev.

Shelton's recent success has been a product of developing his defensive skills and improving his weaker backhand, but the manner in which Zverev successfully targeted it illustrated the work the American number one still has to do.