Alexander Zverev has won the US Open, beating American Ben Shelton in four sets at Flushing Meadows and laying to rest one of tennis's most painful memories. Six years earlier, the German had thrown away a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in the 2020 final; this time, armed with the confidence of a French Open title he claimed at Roland Garros in June, he closed the deal on his 11th attempt at the hard-court major.
The final had a record payoff attached: a Grand Slam-record $5.5 million winner's cheque. Zverev was so locked in that when Shelton netted a return to end the match, the German walked back to the baseline to keep serving — needing a few seconds and a standing ovation from the crowd to realise he had actually won.
For New York fans, the result was bittersweet. Shelton, the eighth seed, was trying to end a 23-year drought for American men at Grand Slams, and the home crowd chanted "Let's go, Ben!" throughout. He showed flashes of his firepower — a scrambling net exchanges and late surge of baseline power that forced a fourth set — but a double fault on break point in the opening game set the tone. He still made history of sorts, becoming the first Black American man in 54 years to contest the New York final since Arthur Ashe. His girlfriend, footballer Trinity Rodman, made it to his player's box after a 200-mile dash from a Washington Spirit match.
The result also matters for the wider tennis picture. Zverev has now won two majors this season, breaking the stranglehold Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner held over the slams in 2024 and 2025 — a run of eight straight titles. Alcaraz fell to Shelton in the quarter-finals after four months out injured, and Sinner withdrew before the tournament after winning Wimbledon. Zverev was diplomatic when asked if he's now the best in the world, conceding that with everyone fit, Sinner still sets the standard.
For travellers, this is a reminder that the US Open is one of New York's great late-summer events. The fortnight in late August and early September turns Flushing Meadows, Queens into a festival of tennis, food stalls and night-session drama, easily reached from Manhattan on the 7 subway. Even if you can't get finals tickets, ground passes and early-round sessions are far more affordable, and the city buzz around the tournament — big-screen fan zones, player sightings, Sports Illustrated-level people-watching — is free. If you're planning a New York trip for early September, timing it around the Open is one of the city's best-value spectacles.
Reporting via Daily Sabah Travel.