Alexander Zverev Wins US Open 2026 for Second Grand Slam Title

Alexander Zverev is the US Open 2026 champion. The German top seed defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to win his first title in New York and the second Grand Slam of his career.

Zverev added the US Open to the Roland-Garros title he won in June, completing the finest major season of his career. Six years after losing the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem from two sets up, he returned to New York and finished the job against a home favourite in Shelton.

Read our US Open 2026 hub, revisit the men’s final preview and see how Elena Rybakina won the women’s title.

How Zverev won the final

Zverev made the stronger start, taking the opening set 6-3 with his serve and depth from the baseline limiting Shelton’s first-strike opportunities. The second set was closer, but Zverev took the tie-break 7-2 to establish a two-set lead.

Shelton found another gear in the third set. The American held firm on serve, then broke Zverev in the final game to take the set 7-5 and give the Arthur Ashe crowd a reason to believe in a comeback.

Zverev responded immediately in the fourth. He broke early, kept Shelton moving through the longer exchanges and broke again before serving out a 6-2 set. The closing phase was emphatic, and it secured a second major title in three Grand Slam tournaments.

A season transformed

Zverev began the year with the weight of previous Grand Slam-final defeats still attached to him. Roland-Garros changed that narrative, and the US Open has underlined it. He has now won two majors in one season and reached three consecutive Grand Slam finals.

His New York run also had a clear turning point. Zverev was pushed to five sets by Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys in his first two matches, then won four consecutive matches in straight sets before the final. The recovery from those early tests gave him a different kind of confidence when the title match tightened.

What it means for Shelton

Shelton leaves New York without the trophy, but with the biggest run of his career. His quarter-final win over Carlos Alcaraz and semi-final comeback against Frances Tiafoe showed that he can deliver under the sport’s biggest lights.

In the final, he recovered from two sets down and briefly shifted the momentum by taking the third. Zverev’s response in the fourth was decisive, but Shelton has established himself as a player who belongs in major title conversations.

US Open 2026 champions

Men’s singles	Alexander Zverev
Runner-up	Ben Shelton
Final score	6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2
Women’s singles	Elena Rybakina

US Open 2026 Men’s Final FAQs

Who won the US Open men’s title in 2026?

Alexander Zverev won the US Open 2026 men’s singles title, beating Ben Shelton in four sets.

What was the score in the Zverev vs Shelton final?

Zverev won 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2.

How many Grand Slam titles does Zverev have?

The US Open was Zverev’s second Grand Slam singles title, following his Roland-Garros victory earlier in 2026.