Zverev is fourth man in Open Era to win first two major titles in same season

Alexander Zverev won the second major title of his stellar 2026 season on Sunday at the US Open, where he battled past home favourite Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in the final.

After Shelton threatened to spark a compelling comeback amid a raucous Arthur Ashe Stadium atmosphere, Zverev quickly regained his composure and dismantled those hopes to cap his own remarkable transformation at the majors. The 29-year-old German has now become just the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first two Grand Slam titles in the same season after lifting the Roland Garros trophy in June.

Zverev’s triumph marks a stunning turnaround from the heartbreak he endured at the start of last year, when he was reduced to tears after losing his third consecutive major final to Jannik Sinner at the Australian Open. This year, after reaching the semi-finals in Melbourne, Zverev broke his Grand Slam duck at Roland Garros, advanced to the Wimbledon final five weeks later and has now claimed his second major trophy.

“I want to thank my team. We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title and now we’ve won two within the span of three months,” Zverev said. “I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through. I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before.”

In front of a star-studded Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd, featuring actors Pierce Brosnan and Brad Pitt among the celebrity guests, Zverev repeatedly absorbed Shelton's power and redirected it with depth and precision, proving almost impossible to outlast when rallies extended. Shelton, renowned for his explosive serve and aggressive first-strike tennis, struggled to find his usual rhythm behind the delivery, while Zverev’s relentless ball striking and calm decision-making repeatedly blunted his challenge.

With his three-hour, 33-minute victory, Zverev has moved 700 points clear of Sinner atop the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer for who will claim ATP Year-End No. 1 presented by PIF honours. The German, who is 25-2 at the majors this year, is firmly in contention for the year-end crown despite having won only two titles — both of them Grand Slam trophies.

Shelton, though, refused to go quietly. Just when the German appeared to be closing in on the title, the American began to find his range and capitalised on an uncharacteristically error-strewn 12th game from Zverev to take the third set 7-5. The breakthrough ignited the crowd and raised hopes of a comeback, but Zverev responded immediately, breaking in the opening game of the fourth set before rediscovering the relentless ball striking he had displayed across the first two sets.

Shelton was bidding to become the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003, while also aiming to become just the second African American man to triumph at this level after Arthur Ashe in 1975. Despite defeat in his first major final, the 23-year-old — who defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals — will rise to a new career-high No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings on Monday.

“Ben, you’re an incredible player, an incredible person,” Zverev said to Shelton during the trophy ceremony. “This was your first Grand Slam final, but I already told you that you’re going to be back here many, many more times.”

Despite spending 19 hours and 38 minutes en route to the final — the fourth-longest time anyone has spent to reach a Grand Slam final since 1991 — Zverev was spritely from the outset. Shelton’s two double faults in the opening set both came on break points, and although he found moments of resistance, Zverev remained unruffled in the longer exchanges to take the first set 6-3.

Shelton ventured forward more frequently in the second set in an attempt to disrupt Zverev’s rhythm, but he continued to come under pressure on serve. He wriggled out of difficult situations at 4-5 and 5-6 to force a tie-break, but Zverev seized control immediately, racing to a 5/0 lead before closing it out with the authority and conviction he has shown at this level in 2026.

Even in the third set, Zverev looked to have an answer whenever Shelton threatened to turn the match on its head. At 3-4, the German produced a scorching backhand winner from deep that sent the American stumbling to the court as the ball flew past him. The shot, which ended a 19-ball exchange, was symbolic of the control Zverev exerted in the longer rallies throughout the final.

Ben SheltonBen Shelton attempts to retrieve a ball in the US Open final against Alexander Zverev. Photo: TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images

But Shelton finally broke through. After Zverev had saved his first and only break point of the match with a clean backhand winner following a 133 mph serve, the American kept applying pressure and eventually forced the German into an uncharacteristically loose game at 5-6. Shelton seized his opportunity to take the set and briefly turn the momentum in his favour.

Zverev, however, had little interest in allowing the comeback to gather pace. The World No. 2 immediately broke at the start of the fourth set and resumed dictating off both wings, repeatedly forcing Shelton into uncomfortable defensive positions. Zverev, who won 12 of the final 14 points to seal victory, has now triumphed in 45 of his past 46 matches against left-handed players.

With his second major title, Zverev will leave New York with a Tour-leading 53 wins in 2026, according to the Infosys ATP Win/Loss Index, and a significant opportunity to close the gap to Sinner at No. 1 in the PIF ATP Rankings. The German is now 1,810 points behind Sinner in the Live Rankings.