Alexander Zverev wins 2026 US Open title to claim his second Grand Slam at the expense of home hope Ben Shelton at Arthur Ashe Stadium

Alexander Zverev secured his second Grand Slam title, as the top seed ended home hopes of an American 2026 US Open champion by defeating Ben Shelton at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The German followed up his maiden success at this year’s Roland-Garros by adding the New York major to his CV courtesy of a 6-3 7-6(2) 5-7 6-2 victory in three hours and 33 minutes.

Speaking on court following his triumph, Zverev said: "We [Zverev and his team] went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now we’ve won two within the span of three months, so I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered and how much pain we went through - and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before."

Shelton, 23, was bidding to become the first men's American Grand Slam singles champion since 2003, but got off to an inauspicious start as a double fault allowed Zverev to break in the first game.

The world No. 2 did not look back from there as he broke for a second time to take a 40-minute opener when the eighth seed double faulted on a first set point.

The second stanza was a tight affair that went all the way to a tie-break where Zverev rampaged clear to take it by a 7-2 scoreline.

Back in 2020, Zverev’s first appearance in a US Open final saw him blow a two-set lead and memories of that collapse must have started to return as he lacked intensity late in the third, allowing Shelton to break at the death.

The swell of momentum was clearly with the home hope, but he was immediately unlocked at the start of the fourth set with a revitalised Zverev moving 2-0 up.

The American could not find a pathway back and the top seed broke again for a 5-2 advantage that allowed him to serve out with aplomb and banish the Flushing Meadows demons from six years ago.

Speaking on court following his defeat, Shelton paid tribute to Zverev.

”Sascha, congrats on these two weeks man, your second Grand Slam title, your second one of the year," he said.

"You're one of the best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year; the way you are serving, moving and playing - you work harder than anyone I know, spend more time on court [practice] than anyone I know.

"You and your team do things the right way and sincerely, I'm happy for you guys to hold this title."

Shelton drills a tame forehand into the net off a rallying ball but Zverev shows his nerves with a double fault.

The German recovers with his ninth ace and the late plot twist the New York crowd were praying becomes increasingly unlikely.

A clinical smash tees up two Championship points and the top seed gets it done on the first of them with another huge serve to bag his second Grand Slam and a maiden US Open crown.

There's a funny moment at the end as the world No.2 didn't seem to realise he'd won!

Shelton cannons down a 10th ace but two woeful decisions with the backhand leave him with work to do at double break point.

Another dropper allows Zverev to take charge and his excellent work at the net leads to a lob long.

Sascha has the insurance and will now serve for the title.

Shelton booms a forehand long and when Zverev lands a thumping first serve the American’s latest bid to breakback already looks a lost cause.

The eighth seed does his best in a lovely cat and mouse point from there, but Zverev blocks away a reaction volley and then slams down another clutch serve to tick off another love hold.

Shelton defends brilliantly and ends up counter punching a tremendous, open-stance forehand winner down the line in what proves to be the final rally of the game to close-out a hold to 15 with real panache.

Zverev eases into a 30-0 lead as Shelton’s forehand misfires but the American edges a 16-shot rally with a stonking backhand down the line.

Sascha falters with a timid forehand low into the net and then gets a warning for a time violation that is met with yells of delight from the New York crowd.

The German complains to the umpire as Shelton nods seemingly in agreement with the decision, but it only galvanises the top seed, who does enough with an overhead before gritting out the hold to 30 with superb angle on a crosscourt backhand.

Zverev jumps all over a woeful dropper to arrow away a backhand winner and his eyes light up at 0-30 when Shelton fires a looping forehand off the island.

The German misses his cue with a pair of backhand errors and Ben charges the net to jump smash a winner after a rocket backhand up the line.

The eighth seed polishes it off from there with a routine plus-one volley getting him back on the board.

The shock of losing that third set seems to have re-focused the German and he follows up that instant break by consolidating with a hold to 15 via tidy backhand volley.

Shelton zooms into a 30-0 lead but a double fault and a poor forehand allow Zverev back into it.

The German tracks down a half volley and rifles a pass straight at the American, who is a sitting duck and can only tee up a simple winner for the top seed to snare break point.

The American staves it off but offers up a second with another over-zealous forehand and this time patient work in a lung-bursting rally allows Sascha to rush a backhand miscue from his opponent and regain the momentum.

Boom!

This final has come to life!

Shelton suddenly goes nuclear on the return and a huge crosscourt forehand intensifies the pressure on the top seed.

Zverev drags a poor backhand into the net and then gets bullied into a forehand off the island to offer up triple set point.

Shelton gets it done on the second when Sascha implodes with a shocker of a volley and it’s lift off in New York.

Zverev has offered very little on the return for quite some time now.

It’s almost like energy-conservation mode for the French Open champion as the lack of zip on his groundstrokes allows Ben to dictate.

The American deploys a lovely dropper en route to a hold to 15 and guarantees himself the minimum of a breaker.

Shelton tries to press and has the crowd on their feet with a terrific crosscourt backhand winner.

The American can’t quite pull off the Hollywood pass on the run off the German’s big forehand down the line and two powerhouse serves keep the top seed on course to try and seal this in three.

There’s no doubt Zverev’s level has dipped.

Is it fatigue or nerves?

It remains to be seen but he’s being less proactive now and Shelton is dominating and unleashing the power.

The eighth seed shows neat hands to react to are-drop and host up a lob before a stun volley seals the best point in a clean hold.

Zverev appears a touch passive and allows his opponent to run around the backhand and force the error with an injection of pace off an inside-in forehand.

The top seed responds with a brace of clutch serves down the T but frames a 1-2 forehand punch into the sky to leave Shelton yelping with delight.

The American dominates a pulsating rally at 30-30 and goes in for the kill with a huge forehand down the line, but Zverev digs out a backhand pass on the run that leaves Ben on the floor.

It’s a quite incredible reach from the German and paves the way for another tricky hold as the eighth seed dumps a tame backhand into the net.

Shelton is ice-cool as he deploys a bewitching backhand lob after Zverev charged the net looking to rush an error off that weaker flank.

The German can’t do much beyond that as Ben cannons down a pair of thumping serves to keep pushing the board in his favour.  

It looks like being another procession at 30-0 as Zverev eases forward to polish off a well-constructed point.

The German is way too casual with a backhand volley that flies miles off the island and he suddenly unravels with a backhand into the alley and aforehand just wide.

It’s a first break point of the match for Shelton but Zverev comes up clutch with a huge crosscourt backhand winner and two massive serves to achieve parity once more.

It’s a server’s paradise right now as Ben chalks up another stress-free hold to love.

The American unleashes a lovely backhand down the line and back pedals into an athletic smash as the pick of his points and then finishes with a trademark heat-seeker of a forehand.

Zverev retorts with humongous serving of his own, particularly down the T, as he races level with a hold to love.