NEW YORK: Top seed Alexander Zverev banished bitter US Open memories to beat American Ben Shelton 6-3 7-6(2) 5-7 6-2 in the final on Sunday, capturing the title six years after letting a golden opportunity slip through his fingers.
The German squandered a two-set lead in the 2020 title match against Austrian Dominic Thiem, but now armed with a champion’s mentality following his breakthrough triumph at Roland Garros in June, he broke American hearts with a devastating display against Shelton.”I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through, and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” Zverev said during the presentation ceremony.The home fans were desperate to see Shelton end a 23-year American men’s Grand Slam drought, but the eighth seed never found his top form in his first major final.
“I know that today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I’m very sorry,” said Zverev. “Even though I know that the crowd was against me, the crowd was always incredibly fair, and we as players we appreciate it.”
