Alexander Zverev defeats Ben Shelton in four sets to win 2026 US Open title

Four-set battle in New York

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev defeated eighth seed Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to win the 2026 US Open men's singles title. The 29-year-old German opened the match with an immediate break of serve in the first game after Shelton committed a double fault. Zverev broke again in the ninth game on another double fault to claim the opening set in 40 minutes. Shelton produced firmer serving in the second set to force a tiebreak, but Zverev raced to a 5-0 lead before closing it out 7-2. After Shelton converted a break point in the 12th game of the third set, Zverev regained control in the fourth, securing breaks in the opening game and at 5-2. The victory marked Zverev's sixth consecutive win in six career meetings against Shelton.

Match point confusion and reaction

The contest concluded in unusual circumstances when Zverev failed to realize that the match was over following the final point. The German took several steps backward behind the baseline, preparing to receive another serve, before shouting and gestures from his player box alerted him that he had won. Zverev later explained the lapse during his post-match press conference.

At that moment I was incredibly engaged in the match. I was in a kind of tunnel where I heard absolutely nothing. Because of that, I simply forgot the score. I thought it was 5:1 in games, not 6:2 and the end of the match.

Shelton was self-critical during his press conference, pointing to unforced errors during offensive transitions and difficulties on his forehand side.

I was not aggressive enough and I attacked poorly. There were simply too many of those errors and I think that is the most important lesson for me.

Season trajectory and ranking shifts

The victory earned Zverev his second Grand Slam trophy of 2026 following his title at Roland Garros in June. He became the first German man to win the US Open singles championship since Boris Becker in 1989. The result narrowed Jannik Sinner's lead at the top of the ATP rankings from 5,010 points to 1,810 points, while Carlos Alcaraz sits in third place, trailing Zverev by 4,130 points. In the ATP Race to Turin, which counts only 2026 results, Zverev took first place with 8,650 points, establishing a 700-point margin over Sinner. Novak Djokovic dropped out of the top 10 to 12th place in the updated rankings.

Path to the final and tournament payouts

Shelton reached his first Grand Slam final after defeating Hubert Hurkacz in the second round, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that finished at 3:33 local time, and Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals. His run elevated him to a career-high fourth position in the world rankings with 4,680 points. Tournament organizers awarded Zverev a champion's prize of 5.5 million dollars, matching the sum paid to women's singles winner Elena Rybakina. Shelton earned 2.8 million dollars as runner-up from the tournament's overall prize purse.