Zverev beats Shelton for US Open title, American men's Slam drought continues

Zverev played a nearly flawless tiebreaker on serve.

Zverev turned back Shelton's chance to even the match in the tiebreaker.

Fans sometimes cheered when Zverev missed a first serve, and the chair umpire scolded them.

Zverev played a nearly flawless tiebreak on serve.

Zverev became emotional talking about his coaching team and family.

Shelton spoke about the support of his family.

Sinner and Alcaraz won all the majors between them in 2024 and 2025.

Shelton started applying pressure on Zverev's serve in the third set.

About 24,000 fans were at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Zverev had already lost three major finals.

Zverev did not play a top-20 opponent until Shelton.

Zverev scraped through opening rounds in early-morning finishes.

Zverev's only break chance in the second set came in the fourth game and he did not convert it.

Zverev's team is led by his father Alexander senior and brother Mischa.

Shelton won the Canadian Open last month.

Shelton had never beaten a top-three opponent until he beat Alcaraz.

Shelton lost in the Wimbledon first round to qualifier Otto Virtanen.

Shelton beat three former top-10 players and seven-time major champion Alcaraz on the way to the final.

Shelton is the American number one.

Zverev was reduced to tears after losing a third consecutive major final to Sinner at the Australian Open.

The match lasted 3 hours 33 minutes.

Zverev reached the Australian Open semi-finals this year.

Zverev moved 700 points clear of Sinner in the Race to Turin.

Zverev has won only two titles this year, both Grand Slams.

Shelton will rise to a career-high No. 4 on Monday.

Shelton was aiming to become the second African American man to win a major after Arthur Ashe in 1975.

Pierce Brosnan and Brad Pitt were among celebrity guests.

Zverev spent 19 hours 38 minutes on court en route to the final, the fourth-longest such path since 1991.

Shelton saved games at 4-5 and 5-6 to force a tiebreak.

At 3-4 Zverev hit a backhand winner from deep that sent Shelton stumbling.

Zverev won 12 of the final 14 points.

Zverev has a tour-leading 53 wins in 2026.

That winner ended a 19-ball exchange.

Zverev is 1,810 points behind Sinner in the live rankings.

Alcaraz and Sinner played in three straight Grand Slam finals in 2025.

Zverev turned back Shelton in the tiebreaker.

The chair umpire scolded fans for cheering Zverev's missed first serves.

Fans chanted USA.

Shelton dove for a volley, then rested his head on his hands and banged the court.

Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and other Knicks teammates were in attendance.

Shelton was the second American man since Roddick to reach a Grand Slam final.

Zverev has won 13 of the last 14 sets against Shelton since dropping a set in 2024 Cincinnati.

Shelton was the first Black American man in any Grand Slam final since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996.

This was Zverev's third Grand Slam final of the year.

Shelton complained twice to the chair about Zverev's lengthy pre-serve ritual in the second set.

Shelton grabbed momentum at 6-6 before the second-set tiebreak.

Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe was in attendance.

Shelton is 0-10 coming back from two sets down at Grand Slams.

At 4-3, 30-30 in the third set Zverev hit a backhand winner down the line.

Shelton won 22 of his last 24 service points.

Zverev reportedly bounced the ball more than 12,000 times at the US Open before the final.

Shelton made 11 unforced errors in the first set to Zverev's three.

The winner of the first set has won 31 of the last 34 US Open men's finals.

Zverev won the next two points to take the seventh game.

Jimmy Connors presented Zverev with the Tiffany & Co. trophy.

Zverev was given a time violation in the fourth set and protested it.

Shelton thanked God and said the experience was positive regardless of the outcome.

Rodman started in the Spirit's 3-0 home loss to Boston Legacy on Sunday.

Shelton played Alcaraz for 4 hours 28 minutes for a semifinal place.

Zverev had played in five Grand Slam finals before Sunday.

After two difficult opening matches Zverev did not drop a set from the third round to the final.

Some fans told NBC News they had traveled from near and far.

Alcaraz appeared to vomit into a towel during that match.

Junior Pulayya drove from Florida to support Shelton, a Florida alumnus.

Shelton had not created a break point by the time he was two sets down.

Shelton was winning 70 percent of first-serve points to Zverev's 93 percent.

Shelton took speed off his serve and hit it close to 100 mph.

Shelton's first break point came after 2 hours 18 minutes and Zverev saved it with a backhand.

At the end of the second set Shelton made 70 percent of first serves to Zverev's 68 percent.

Shelton had not broken Zverev in 63 service games at that point.

Zverev is 6-foot-6.

Shelton won 19 of 21 first-serve points and five of seven second-serve points in that stretch.

Zverev lost the 2024 French Open final to Alcaraz in five sets.

Sinner beat Zverev at the 2025 Australian Open.

Zverev beat debutant Flavio Cobolli in this year's French Open final.

Thiem retired in 2024.

The first set was the only set in which Shelton lost his serve.