NEW YORK - Alexander Zverev finally erased one of the most painful chapters of his career on Sunday, defeating American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to win his maiden US Open title and complete a remarkable Grand Slam breakthrough.

The German top seed, who had let a two-set lead slip against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final, returned to the biggest stage six years later with a new-found belief and the composure of a Grand Slam champion. His triumph at Roland Garros in June had already ended a long wait for a major title, and he followed it with another commanding performance in New York. “I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through, and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” Zverev said during the trophy presentation.

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Shelton, backed by a passionate home crowd hoping to end the United States’ 23-year wait for a men’s singles Grand Slam champion, struggled to produce his best tennis in his first major final. Zverev immediately capitalised, breaking in the opening game after Shelton committed a double fault on break point before taking the first set.

The second set remained fiercely contested, but Zverev maintained his discipline despite constant support for Shelton from the stands. He raced to a 5-0 lead in the tiebreak and secured a commanding two-set advantage. Shelton refused to surrender. After saving a break point with a brilliant backhand winner, Zverev appeared destined for a straight-sets victory, but the American responded with powerful baseline hitting and finally broke serve to claim the third set 7-5.

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The comeback hopes, however, were short-lived. Zverev produced his best tennis at the start of the fourth set, winning a gruelling 25-shot rally before breaking Shelton’s serve. He protected the advantage throughout and closed out victory after three hours and 11 minutes. In a remarkable moment, Zverev initially failed to realise that he had won when Shelton sent a return long. He began walking back towards the baseline before the umpire’s announcement and the crowd’s reaction finally alerted him. He then smiled, rushed to the net and embraced his opponent. “I know that today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I’m very sorry,” Zverev joked. “Even though I know that the crowd was against me, the crowd was always incredibly fair.”

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Shelton, meanwhile, accepted defeat with pride, describing his run to the final as a “gift” and becoming the first Black American man since Arthur Ashe 54 years ago to reach the US Open final. Zverev’s second Grand Slam triumph this season also strengthens his position among the leading figures of the new generation.

Asked whether he now considered himself the world’s best player, he acknowledged that Jannik Sinner remained ahead when fully fit. “If everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead. It’s as simple as that,” Zverev said. The victory earned Zverev a $5.5 million winner’s prize and, more importantly, finally gave him the US Open crown that had eluded him since his heartbreaking defeat in 2020.

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