Alexander Zverev finally has his US Open title.
The German defeated American Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday to claim his second Grand Slam title of the year and erase one of the biggest disappointments of his career.
Six years after letting a two-set lead slip against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final, Zverev returned to New York and finished the job this time.
The top seed controlled the opening set with his powerful serve and consistent baseline game before edging a tight second-set tiebreak. Shelton fought back strongly in the third, using his big serve and aggressive play to extend the contest.
But Zverev regained control in the fourth set. He broke early and never allowed the American back into the match, eventually sealing the victory after three hours and 37 minutes.
The victory caps a remarkable season for the 29-year-old, who won his maiden Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this year. He is now the first German man since Boris Becker in 1996 to win two Grand Slam titles in the same season.
It also marks a dramatic turnaround at the US Open. Zverev began this year's tournament with two demanding five-set victories, narrowly surviving Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys. From there, however, he grew stronger with every round and reached the final without dropping another set.
Shelton, playing in his first Grand Slam final, pushed Zverev throughout and showed why he had become one of the tournament's biggest stories. The 23-year-old had already defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarter-final before overcoming Frances Tiafoe to reach the championship match.
However, the American could not produce another upset against Zverev, who improved his perfect record against Shelton to 6-0.
The victory earned Zverev a record US$5.5 million in prize money, matching women's champion Elena Rybakina's payout as the largest singles prize in Grand Slam history.
For Zverev, though, the biggest reward was finally completing the journey that began with heartbreak in New York six years ago.
This time, there was no comeback to stop him. Zverev stood firm, closed out the final and left Flushing Meadows as a two-time Grand Slam champion.
