Alexander Zverev secured his second major title, leaving American male players without a Grand Slam victory since 2003. In the U.S. Open final, Zverev defeated Ben Shelton with a score of 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2. This victory marked Zverev’s breakthrough in major tournaments following his French Open win earlier this year. As the top seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, Zverev took advantage of Shelton’s shaky start in the final.
Shelton aimed to be the first American male player since Andy Roddick in 2003 to clinch a Grand Slam title and the first Black player since Arthur Ashe in 1968 to win the men’s crown. Despite a valiant effort, Zverev’s dominance in major events this year prevailed. In a moment of confusion, Zverev initially did not realize he had won the match, only acknowledging his victory after a brief delay.
With a record of 25-2 in major matches this year, Zverev earned $5.5 million, matching the largest prize in Grand Slam history. Reflecting on his past performances, Zverev admitted that he believed the 2020 title should have been his. Now, any lingering doubts from his previous setbacks have dissipated.
Zverev’s journey to the U.S. Open final included a notable run at Wimbledon where he was defeated by Jannik Sinner. Shelton, who had previously ousted the defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a memorable late-night quarterfinal, fell short in his bid to become the first man since 1975 to defeat both the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds on his way to claiming the U.S. Open title.