Alexander Zverev won his first US Open men’s singles title on Sunday, defeating American Ben Shelton in four sets in New York. The German top seed prevailed 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to claim his second Grand Slam championship of the season.
The victory followed Zverev’s French Open success in June and completed the strongest season of his career, according to DW. He also became the ninth man to reach at least the semifinals at all four majors in the same season.
Zverev took control early after capitalising on Shelton’s uncertain start in his first Grand Slam final. He won the second-set tiebreak 7-2 and, although Shelton fought back to take the third set, the German restored his authority in the fourth. The source said Zverev was playing his first Grand Slam tournament as the top seed.
Shelton had been attempting to become the first American man to win the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003. He was also seeking to become the first Black man to win the tournament since Arthur Ashe in 1968. His defeat extended the wait for an American male Grand Slam champion, according to Al Jazeera.
Zverev’s breakthrough comes after he reached the US Open final in 2020 but failed to win the title. He also won Olympic gold in 2021, while the emergence of players including Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz had added to the competition at the majors, DW reported.
The German became emotional during his post-match remarks as he thanked his family and coaching team. He also spoke about his mother’s support after he was diagnosed with diabetes as a child. Shelton, 23, thanked his family for their commitment to his career, while Zverev told his younger opponent that he believed Shelton would win the tournament in the future.