US Open 2026: Zverev finally gets his New York moment

On Sunday in New York, Zverev finally got his wish as he defeated home favourite and No.8 seed Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to clinch a second Grand Slam and hoist the trophy he failed to secure six years ago.

Zverev lost three major finals before he finally ended his Slam drought at Roland-Garros in June. Seeded No.1 at the US Open, he started the tournament poorly and was two points away from losing his first round to Lorenzo Sonego.

He scraped through a five-setter in his second round against Quentin Halys before he hit his stride and landed the trophy with a near-flawless display against first-time major finalist Shelton.

He is just the second German US Open men’s champion after Boris Becker, who triumphed in 1989, and the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season.

Zverev gave a poignant speech on court after the win.

“I want to thank my team. We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title, and now we won two within a span of three months,” said the 29-year-old.

“I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through, and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before, so thank you guys. You guys are absolutely amazing, and I couldn't be here without you guys.”

He had particularly special words for his mother Irina, who wasn’t in the stands because she never watches his matches live but has played a pivotal role in his life and career.

“I want to thank actually one more person who's never actually watched my matches, but is the most important person in my tennis life and in my life in general,” said Zverev.

“Because when your four-year-old son gets diagnosed with diabetes, and doctors in the office tell you that life and sports will be very, very limited for that child, it takes a very, very strong mother to walk out of those offices and to say, ‘My son will be whatever he wants to be. If he wants to be a tennis player, he'll be a tennis player, if he wants to do something else, he'll do something else, but this illness will not define us’.

“I'm happy that we worked through it, and we're doing things that we're doing right now. My mother is the most important and the strongest person I know, because it takes an unbelievably strong woman to do what she did, so thanks to her as well.”

A family affair

Zverev entered the final with a clean 5-0 record against Shelton, who had lost his last 10 consecutive sets against the German.

He’d only ever broken Zverev’s serve just once in five previous meetings and hadn’t won a set against him since the first one they played in Cincinnati two years ago.

Zverev had the numbers and experience working in his favour and he took full advantage of it from the get-go, putting on a serving masterclass against the powerful lefty.

He dropped just three points behind his first serve across the opening two sets and didn’t face a break point until the third, which Shelton somehow ran away with by breaking Zverev in the 12th game to keep his hopes alive in the final.

That break of serve ended a streak of 67 consecutive holds for Zverev against Shelton but it couldn’t change the outcome as Zverev broke at the start of the fourth set and got the insurance break in game seven en route to a three-hour 33-minute victory.

Zverev closed out the match on his own serve, but was so locked in that he didn’t realise he had just won the championship. It was his brother Mischa sitting courtside who told him he actually won the match, which sent Zverev straight into celebration mode, lifting his arms up in both surprise and pure delight.

After sharing a warm embrace with a disappointed Shelton, Zverev greeted the crowd then walked to Shelton’s box to congratulate his opponent’s father and coach, Bryan Shelton, as well as other members of his team.

Like Shelton, Zverev is coached by his father, and their tennis careers are a family affair in the truest sense of the word.

“Ben, you're an incredible player, an incredible person. This was your first Grand Slam final, but I already told you you're going to be back here many, many more times, and if I would have to bet all my money on it, then I would bet that you will win this trophy one day,” Zverev said in his victory speech.

“I want to say well done to Ben's team, to Bryan, to everybody who's there, to pops, to mom and sister as well. I think everybody is just as important over there as they are on this side of the court.

“I know it's exactly what my family is, and that's why I'm so happy to see you guys in these kind of finals. I'm so happy to see you guys win Masters events and big tournaments, because I know that it's a family affair, and everybody is pulling on the same strings to be successful, so congratulations because you guys really deserve it.”

Shelton’s girlfriend, football star Trinity Rodman, had a home game with her team, Washington Spirit on Sunday and rushed from the pitch in D.C to Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York to catch the tail-end of the final.

“It means everything,” said Shelton. “I knew she was coming. I knew it was going to be pretty close to impossible to get here, but even just making the effort and trying is insane. She kind of showed up as I was losing, which for her probably sucked, you know?

“But, yeah, we've made a lot of sacrifices for each other. We've, you travelled the world to try to support each other when we can. It means a lot.”

‘I’ll be back here again’

Shelton’s defeat means that America’s US Open men’s singles title drought continues with Andy Roddick still the last American man to lift the trophy in New York back in 2003.

The 23-year-old had an excellent tournament and knocked out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and three-time semi-finalist Frances Tiafoe en route to his first Grand Slam final.

“I'm just getting started and I'll be back here again,” Shelton told the crowd after the match.

He later added in his press conference: “I'm motivated. Disappointed with how today went. Happy with how I fought throughout the week, two weeks. Excited with the progress that I feel that I've made, but yeah, this one sting 100 percent.

“It's on to the next. Try to keep getting better and show up in Australia even stronger than I showed up here.”

An A-list crowd packed the 24,000-capacity stadium on Sunday. From New York Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart, to Hollywood stars like Brad Pitt, Emily Blunt, and Pierce Brosnan, Arthur Ashe was the place to be and Shelton wanted so badly to get the win on home soil.

“It's such a cool moment. Walking out on that court today, there's nothing like it. I've never felt anything like that before. Yeah, it's an addicting feeling being in positions like this,” he said.

“I've always, my whole life, had guys out in front of me, guys that I'm chasing, guys that I'm trying to get on the same level as. I'm a late bloomer. That's just the way that it's always been. It's no different now.

“I haven't always been successful the very first time that I've been in finals, whether it was from when I was really young all the way up to the Challenger level and now the ATP, Grand Slam level. I think that it's an ongoing process for me. That's the way I see it.

“I don't think I'm anywhere near the player that I want to be. I think I'm a great competitor. I think I compete really well out there on the court.

“I'm able to stay focused and stay there on the court for many hours. I think that's going to help me in the future moving forward.”