Alexander Zverev sets new tennis record after beating Ben Shelton to win the US Open title

Six years after squandering a two-set lead to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 US Open final, Alexander Zverev hoisted the title inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Zverev secured his first US Open crown and became a two-time Grand Slam champion on Sunday by beating American star Ben Shelton in four sets, 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2.

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The German delivered a strong serving display against the home hope, who created three break point opportunities and converted just one in his first major final appearance.

Shelton looked to have been brewing up a special comeback after taking the third set, which received an enormous roar from the partisan New York crowd.

But a double break from Zverev in the fourth set sealed the victory for the 29-year-old, who capped off a remarkable Grand Slam season.

Alexander Zverev sets Open Era record with US Open triumph

It took several seasons for Zverev to finally capture his first Grand Slam title, which he managed at Roland Garros earlier this year.

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Zverev took advantage of a wide open draw in Paris to emerge victorious, and followed it up by making his first Wimbledon final.

After Jannik Sinner's withdrawal and Novak Djokovic's early exit from the 2026 US Open, Zverev quickly became the favourite to go all the way in the Big Apple.

His campaign got off to a rocky start with two five-setters in the opening rounds, but Zverev found his groove by round three and did not drop a set from there en route to the final.

With his win over Shelton, Zverev has taken the most Grand Slam appearances of any player in the Open Era to clinch his second major title.

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Having made 43 Grand Slam main draw appearances, Zverev surpassed the previous record holder, Stan Wawrinka, who won his second major title in his 41st appearance.

Alexander Zverev's Grand Slam season in 2026

Zverev kicked off his 2026 Grand Slam season with a semifinal run at the Australian Open, where he came agonisingly close to reaching the final.

In his final-four bout with Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev served for the match in the decisive fifth set, but ultimately lost to the eventual champion.

He then won Roland Garros by beating the likes of Rafael Jodar, Jakub Mensik and Flavio Cobolli.

Zverev had never made it past the fourth round at Wimbledon prior to this year, but he certainly figured out the grass courts of SW19 in 2026.

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He dropped two sets on his way to the Wimbledon final, where he took a set off Sinner, but could not get over the line.

Zverev was on the verge of an early exit at the US Open in both the first round and second round, but hardly put a foot wrong after that.

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