Overview
- Top seed Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(7/2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday to win the 2026 US Open men's singles title, his second Grand Slam of the year.
- Shelton reached his first major final after beating Carlos Alcaraz in a five‑set quarterfinal and Frances Tiafoe in the semi, becoming the first Black American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
- U.S. men's hope for a first Grand Slam singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003 ended with Shelton's loss, extending the American drought that has lasted more than two decades.
- Tournament officials flagged Zverev for lengthy pre‑serve routines during the fortnight; he received a time violation in the semi and a time‑violation warning in the final after opponents complained that repeated ball‑bouncing disrupted the rhythm of play.
- Zverev earned the $5.5 million winner’s prize, improved his head‑to‑head vs. Shelton to 6-0, and further consolidated his place among the season’s top players while raising questions about time‑violation enforcement and scheduling at the US Open.