Alexander Zverev secured his first US Open title by defeating Ben Shelton in a hard-fought encounter that ended 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2. As the tournament’s top seed, Zverev’s victory denied the 23-year-old American a historic win; Shelton had aimed to become the first Black American man to win the US Open since Arthur Ashe in 1968 and the first American man to capture the trophy since Andy Roddick in 2003.
The match underscored Zverev’s dominance in the head-to-head series, where he now holds a 6-0 record against the American. Zverev utilized his elite two-handed backhand to neutralize Shelton’s powerful forehand while maintaining superior consistency from the baseline. Statistically, Zverev excelled on serve, landing 69% of his first serves and claiming 85% of points on his first delivery. In contrast, Shelton struggled with nerves early on, suffering costly double faults during the critical moments of the first set.
Shelton briefly sparked a resurgence at the end of the third set, breaking through when trailing 5-6 to force a fourth. However, he lost his serve immediately at the start of the final set, allowing Zverev to regain control and close out the match. This win marks Zverev’s second grand slam title of the year, making him the fourth man in the open era—joining Jimmy Connors, Guillermo Vilas, and Jannik Sinner—to secure his first two major titles within the same campaign.
For Shelton, the tournament represented the pinnacle of a breakout summer that included a second Masters 1000 title at the Canadian Open and a career-high ranking of world No 4. Despite the loss, his trajectory remains one of constant improvement, though the match highlighted ongoing gaps in his ground game and return efficiency when challenged by top-tier opposition.
The event took place amidst a season marked by injuries to stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, which opened paths for new contenders to shine. Zverev has consistently navigated these high-stakes opportunities, though his career remains shadowed by serious off-court controversies. Zverev has been accused of physical abuse by former partners Olya Sharypova and Brenda Patea. In June 2024, an assault case brought by Patea—involving allegations of strangling—was settled in Germany without a verdict. A court spokesperson noted at the time that “the truth remains open.”
Zverev has consistently denied all allegations made against him. While public scrutiny has persisted, including heckling from fans at last year’s Australian Open—where one spectator declared that “Australia believes Olya and Brenda”—the German player has continued to compete in major finals without disruption to his professional schedule. The report also notes that hope sprung anew for Ben Shelton, for a passing moment at the end of a rugged third set. The report also notes that but at 6-5 in the third set, one game from defeat, the American finally broke through, he had been outserved and outplayed for nearly three hours. The report also notes that cupping his ear to the crowd and admirably trying to initiate a drastic momentum shift, the next sequence was most revealing, after he had finished pumping his fist. The report also notes that perhaps the most relevant detail in this rivalry is the head to head. The report also notes that a comfortable match-up for the German who served far better than Shelton, remained far steadier from the baseline and, as usual, nullified the effects of the left-hander’s forehand with the quality of his elite two-handed backhand, zverev now leads Shelton 6-0. The report also notes that the first job for both players was to take care of his service, in a match between two of the biggest servers. The report also notes that shelton then double-faulted on set point to hand over a second break.
