Alexander Zverev wins US Open, defeats Ben Shelton in four sets

Zverev, the top seed, held his composure through a match played before a strongly partisan crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The 29-year-old took the opening set and edged a second-set tiebreak before Shelton responded by winning the third. Zverev regained control in the fourth set, using his powerful serve and consistent baseline play to close out the victory in four sets. The result avenged his defeat in the 2020 US Open final, when he surrendered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem.

The championship adds to a breakthrough season for Zverev, who won his first major at the French Open earlier this year and reached the Wimbledon final. He became the first German man to win the French Open since Boris Becker in 1989 and entered the US Open final with a chance to claim a second major title in the same season. Shelton, 23, was playing in his first Grand Slam final and had become the first Black American man to reach the US Open men’s final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. His run included a five-set quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz and a semifinal win over Frances Tiafoe. The result leaves the United States still searching for its next men’s singles champion at the tournament after Andy Roddick’s 2003 victory.

Sources: ESPN, NBC News, Sky Sports, BBC Sport and The Guardian.