Alexander Zverev captured the men’s singles title at the 2026 U.S. Open on Sunday, defeating American debutant Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory marks Zverev’s second Grand Slam title this year and extends the drought for American men at Grand Slam events to 24 years.

Zverev, the tournament’s top seed, overcame a challenging field and previous setbacks at Flushing Meadows to claim the trophy. The German player had narrowly lost the 2020 U.S. Open final after leading by two sets against Dominic Thiem and had fallen early in the previous edition. His triumph on Sunday was described as a form of redemption.

“It feels amazing, especially with the heartbreak I had in 2020 here. To finally lift this trophy is an amazing feeling,” Zverev said after the match, acknowledging the difficulties he had faced in recent years and his perseverance.

Shelton, making his first appearance in a major final, had a remarkable run through the tournament, defeating top players including Stefanos Tsitsipas, Carlos Alcaraz, and Frances Tiafoe. However, he was unable to overcome Zverev’s powerful serve, which had denied Shelton a break point over the course of 66 consecutive service games until the final game of the third set. Shelton’s lone break of serve earned him a standing ovation and temporarily extended the match into a fourth set.

Despite his resilience, Shelton was quickly broken in the fourth set and fell behind 2-0. Zverev, managing both his physical condition and match tempo expertly—including controlling serve rhythms and handling his Type 1 diabetes with multiple insulin injections during changeovers—maintained his dominance to close out the match.

Shelton criticized aspects of Zverev’s serving routine, which included extensive ball-bouncing delays that he argued were difficult to manage as a returner. “If he’s bouncing the ball 20, 25 times, I shouldn’t have to just sit there for that,” Shelton said, referring to a time warning issued by chair umpire Marijana Veljovic.

With key rivals Jannik Sinner sidelined by injury and Carlos Alcaraz returning from a prolonged absence, Zverev was cautiously asked if this signaled his status as the sport’s top-ranked player. After a pause, he acknowledged the uncertainty but said, “Right now this moment, probably yes.”

Zverev’s commanding win solidifies his position among the new generation of elite men’s players alongside Alcaraz and Sinner. Meanwhile, Shelton’s breakthrough run signals the emergence of fresh American talent, despite the continuing wait for a U.S. male champion on tennis’s biggest stage.