Alexander Zverev conquers the US Open and marks a milestone in his career
Alexander Zverev has finally managed to settle one of the most important pending scores of his sports career. In a solid performance in New York, the German tennis player claimed his first US Open title after defeating American Ben Shelton in four sets, with scores of 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, and 6-2.
This triumph, consolidated in three hours and 33 minutes of play, not only represents a new Grand Slam trophy for the world number two, but also crowns a historic 2026 season, in which he also managed to conquer Roland Garros. With this result, Zverev positions himself as the player born in the 90s with the highest number of Grand Slam titles, surpassing figures such as Dominic Thiem and Daniil Medvedev.
The revenge of a wound from the past
For Zverev, lifting the trophy at Arthur Ashe has a deep emotional background. Six years ago, in the 2020 edition, the German was one step away from glory, but let a two-set lead slip away against Dominic Thiem. That episode, which took place in a practically empty stadium due to the pandemic, haunted him for years as a constant reminder of a missed opportunity.
The success achieved this year, first in France and now on American soil, marks the definitive consolidation of Zverev as an elite competitor capable of overcoming his own ghosts and reaffirming his dominance on the professional circuit.
Mastery and experience on the track
Although Ben Shelton arrived at the final as the great revelation after eliminating Carlos Alcaraz, the pressure of playing his first Grand Slam title match was noticeable. Zverev took advantage of his experience and an effectiveness of over 90% in points won on his first serve to maintain control of the match.
- Zverev closed the first two sets with authority, supported by an impeccable routine from the service line.
- Shelton managed to react in the third set, taking advantage of a brief lapse in concentration from the German to extend the match.
- In the fourth set, Zverev’s hierarchy prevailed with two early breaks that sealed the fate of the match.
A 2026 for the history books
With this title, Alexander Zverev not only climbs positions in the world ranking, where he is already threatening Jannik Sinner’s lead, but he also places himself at the top of the race to the ATP Finals in Turin. The 2026 season will be marked as the year in which the German finished writing his name in the great history of tennis, leaving behind the doubts of the past to embrace definitive glory in New York.
