Zverev defeats Shelton to win U.S. Open men's title
Alexander Zverev captured his second major title of 2026 by beating Ben Shelton in four sets, while Elena Rybakina won her first U.S. Open title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka.
The short version
Alexander Zverev won the 2026 U.S. Open men's singles title by defeating Ben Shelton in four sets. Elena Rybakina captured the women's title by beating Aryna Sabalenka.
Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 to win the men's singles title.8,5,11 Ben Shelton entered the final as the eighth seed, while Zverev was the top seed.9 Shelton would have been the first American man in 23 years to win a Grand Slam title if he had won.9
Zverev's victory was his second Grand Slam title of 2026 and his first at the U.S. Open.6,4 Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 to win the women's singles title.10,2,1 Rybakina became the first player representing Kazakhstan to win a U.S. Open singles title.1
Rybakina had previously won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open earlier in 2026.1 Rybakina said focusing on one point at a time helped her win the title.12 Rybakina described the atmosphere on the court as amazing and said she was super happy and proud.10
Zverev apologized to the crowd, saying, "I know today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I'm very sorry first of all," during the trophy presentation.11 Zverev said he did not realize he had won until the crowd told him.7 The win ended a drought of U.S. men without a Grand Slam title since 2003.8
Shelton was the first American to reach a U.S. Open final in 23 years.3 Zverev had lost in the 2020 U.S. Open final, making this victory a redemption.7
“I know today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I'm very sorry first of all.”
“I’m super happy, super proud and the atmosphere on the court was amazing.”
Why it matters
The U.S. Open is one of tennis's four Grand Slam tournaments, held annually at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.13
Ben Shelton was the first American to reach a U.S. Open final in 23 years, having entered the tournament as the eighth seed.3,9
Elena Rybakina had previously won Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2026, making her a two‑time major champion before the U.S. Open.1
Alexander Zverev had previously lost in the 2020 U.S. Open final, making his 2026 victory a comeback from that defeat.7
This account was written from the 13 reports listed below, filed by 12 independent outlets, and checked against them line by line. It is not a copy of any one of them. Spotted an error? Tell us.
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