U.S. Open final: Alexander Zverev deflates Ben Shelton and home crowd in one-sided victory, tell me about this news in (https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7590817/2026/09/13/alexander-zverev-ben-shelton-us-open-final-result-analysis/)

Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton in the U.S. Open men’s singles final, winning 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe Stadium to claim his second Grand Slam title of the season and his first U.S. Open crown.Match Overview & Dynamics

• Neutralizing the Crowd: Entering the final, the Arthur Ashe crowd was firmly behind the 23-year-old Shelton, who was attempting to end the American men’s Grand Slam drought dating back to Andy Roddick’s 2003 victory. However, Zverev’s steady baseline depth, clinical returning, and heavy serving effectively dampened the stadium’s energy early.
• First Two Sets: Zverev seized control immediately, exploiting a tight start from Shelton to take the opening set 6-3. While Shelton raised his level in the second set to force a tiebreak, Zverev played near-flawless tennis on serve, running away with the tiebreak 7-2.
• Shelton’s Brief Resurgence: Fueled by vocal crowd support, Shelton mounted a late push in the third set, securing a crucial break to edge it 7-5 and keep his hopes alive.
• Clinical Finish: Rather than letting momentum swing awaya shadow that had lingered over Zverev since his five-set collapse against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 finalthe German No. 1 seed quickly regrouped. He broke Shelton early in the fourth set, maintained total control from the baseline, and closed out the match 6-2.

Broader Context

• Major Milestone: Following his Roland Garros triumph earlier in the year, this victory secured Zverev’s second career Grand Slam title, capping off a dominant 2026 major campaign.
• Shelton’s Breakout Run: Despite the loss, Shelton’s tournament was highlighted by a signature late-night, five-set quarterfinal victory over Carlos Alcaraz, solidifying his status among the top tier of men’s tennis even as Zverev improved his head-to-head record against him to 6-0.