Zverev wins US Open, extends US men's major drought — SkimNews
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- Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 in Sunday's US Open men's final, winning his second major after taking this year's French Open
- Zverev became the fourth man in the Open era to win his first two major titles in the same calendar year, joining Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (1977) and Jannik Sinner (2024)
- Ben Shelton, the No. 8 seed at age 23, fell to 0-6 lifetime against Zverev and failed in his bid to end the American men's Grand Slam singles drought dating to Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open title — and to become the first Black men's US Open champion since Arthur Ashe in 1968
- Zverev improved to 25-2 in major matches this year and earned $5.5 million, matching women's champion Elena Rybakina as the largest prize in Grand Slam history
- Zverev was so disoriented at match point that he dropped back behind the baseline as if to return serve, only realizing seconds later that he had won
- Zverev's deliberate pre-serve routine — bouncing the ball up to 20 times — neutralized the pro-Shelton crowd; Zverev said before the match he enjoyed hostile environments
Why it matters: The loss extends the American men's Grand Slam singles drought to 23 years — no American man has won a major since Andy Roddick in 2003. Zverev's 25-2 major record this year, capped by two titles, establishes him as the most productive men's player of the season outside Sinner and Alcaraz, reshaping the hierarchy atop the ATP.
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