Alexander Zverev Claims Second Major Title at US Open Final

Alexander Zverev was ready. Ready for his opponent's next serve, ready for the next return, ready for the next game in the final. But suddenly, he understood there would be no next game. Zverev had miscounted; he had already won the match. He raised his arms, laughed, and cheered. As the first German since Boris Becker in 1989, Zverev has won the US Open.

The 29-year-old from Hamburg defeated American Ben Shelton 6:4, 7:6 (7:2), 5:7, 6:2 on Sunday. This victory secured the second Grand Slam title of his career, following his initial triumph in Paris in early June. After many attempts and four final losses, he finally broke through there. Now, he has arrived where he has long wanted to be.

“We went 30 years without a Grand Slam title, and now we’ve won two in one year,” Zverev said on court in his victory speech, thanking his family and team. “God has seen how hard we have worked, how we have suffered, through how much pain we have gone. I believe 2026 is the result of everything we have invested.”

Exactly six years ago to the day, Zverev lost his first Grand Slam final in New York to Dominic Thiem after leading two sets to none. It was one of the most painful defeats of his career, one that lingered. Zverev’s lessons learned after that day were long and marked by setbacks. But the 2026 US Open final, perhaps even more so than the French Open final three months prior, was now his masterpiece.

Alexander Zverev, the Tournament Player

The difference between playing one's first Grand Slam final and one's sixth was evident from the first set that afternoon in New York. Shelton had not yet settled into his debut, while Zverev immediately had the first break point in the opening game of the day. Shelton promptly double-faulted. Zverev confidently held his lead, then had another break point at 5:3. Another Shelton double-fault followed. The set was decided.

The title from Paris gave him “great peace,” Zverev had said before the final. And that peace was visible. Until the middle of the second set, Zverev was superior to his opponent in all aspects. He had a better first-serve percentage, played better returns, played smarter at the net, and won the few long rallies as well as many of the short ones. By the middle of the third set, Zverev had not allowed a single break point.

It is the art of the truly great to play their best tennis in the most crucial moments. It is therefore no coincidence that almost all top players have outstanding records in tiebreaks. Zverev managed to play his best tennis in the most important match at this US Open.

Like the national football team Germany once was, Zverev, the tournament player, improved match by match in New York. After having to battle through five sets in the first two rounds, he then played better round by round, not dropping a set until the final. There, Zverev was at his peak.

However, from the middle of the second set, it became increasingly difficult for him. This was mainly due to Shelton raising his energy level. He shouted after every winning shot, energized the crowd, and used his home advantage. Shelton saved a break point and remained mentally strong in critical phases. He deserved the tiebreak. And then he was down 0:5 because Zverev was playing exceptionally well again. Winning the second set was merely a formality for the German.

Plenty Speaks for Shelton

Shelton then disappeared into the locker room, changed his shoes – and his tactics. He played more serve-and-volley, attempted to be bolder overall, including on the return. At 3:2, he had his first chance to win one of Zverev's service games. Three thunderous serves later, the chance was gone. But things had begun to shift. With the first break of the day, Shelton secured the set shortly after.

Tennis is often a game of ups and downs. And it is a great art not to be overly thrown off by the swings in either direction. In Zverev's case, the reaction to the slight setback at the end of the third set that Sunday in New York was as follows: He broke serve directly in the first game of the next set. After that, the match again went in one direction. Ultimately, it was over before Zverev himself had fully grasped it.

At the end of this final, there were several statistics that spoke for Shelton. The American served more aces, more winners – shots that lead to an immediate point. He had a better first-serve percentage and won more points on his second serve than Zverev.

The fact that such a match could still be won so decisively by the German shows once again how little it matters in tennis to win every rally, and how much it matters to win the truly important ones. Zverev now masters this art like very few others. It is the art of Grand Slam champions.