Shelton meets Zverev in US Open final with history on the line
Ben Shelton will play Alexander Zverev in the US Open men's final on Sunday.
The final is scheduled for 13 September 2026 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, starting at 2 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CEST, according to the ATP Tour. It is Shelton's first Grand Slam final. It is Zverev's second US Open final.
Both men came through on Friday night in New York. Shelton, 23 and seeded eighth, beat fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in an all-American semi-final that lasted over three hours, the US Open reported. Zverev followed with a 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) win over Karen Khachanov, sealed in two tiebreaks, the small races to seven points that decide a set at 6-6.
Shelton had already removed the defending champion. He beat Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in the quarter-finals to reach the last four.
Sunday carries weight far beyond one trophy. Shelton will attempt to become the first Black American man to win the US Open singles title since Arthur Ashe in 1968, inside the stadium named after Ashe, the Guardian reported. A win would also make him the first Black man to win any Grand Slam singles title since Yannick Noah at Roland Garros in 1983, and only the third Black man to do so. He is aiming to become the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
The maths is stark. Zverev leads their head-to-head 5-0 on hard courts, grass and clay. Shelton took the first set they ever played, at Cincinnati in 2024, then lost the next 10 sets in a row. Zverev arrives as the Roland Garros champion and the top seed in New York in the absence of Jannik Sinner. The seeding is the system that keeps the highest-ranked players apart in the early rounds.
Shelton travels with family history in his corner. His father and coach is former player Bryan Shelton. His paternal grandmother was Regina Ann Shelton, who died earlier in 2026. On tour finals, small events below the Slams, he holds a 7-2 record.
Money follows the title. The singles champion will earn $5,500,000 and the runner-up $2,800,000, per the ATP Tour.
What makes this stand out is the clash of stories. One man has never lost this match-up. The other has never played for this much. Two players, no clock, nowhere to hide.
