The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to the US Open as Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton prepare to clash in the men's singles final. For different reasons, both players will look back on this tournament with a sense of achievement, regardless of the outcome on Sunday.
Zverev has emerged from the shadow of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who dominated the Grand Slams in 2024 and 2025 and earned the 'Sincaraz' tag. The German top seed has won the French Open title and is now looking to double his tally of major wins - not only for the year but also his career.
After three defeats in major finals, many thought Zverev had missed his chance to win one of the sport's biggest prizes. However, injuries to Sinner and Alcaraz have opened the door for someone else to make a push. Zverev believes he has what it takes to end 2026 with more major wins than the duo.
Zverev is contesting his second US Open final, having squandered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in 2020. In the seasons that followed, Zverev often played in the latter stages at Slams but lacked belief that his time would ever come. His mental misgivings were finally put to bed by beating Flavio Cobolli in the final at Roland Garros.
Shelton, on the other hand, has demonstrated he has what it takes to reach a major final and beat the world's best players along the way. The American eighth seed will be backed by a partisan 24,000-strong crowd in New York and is bidding to become the first home US Open men's singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Shelton's progress has led to four title victories this season - Dallas (indoor hard), Munich (clay), Stuttgart (grass) and Canadian Open (outdoor hard) - and a watershed win over Alcaraz at the US Open. Shelton had never beaten a top-three opponent until overcoming the seven-time champion in an epic quarter-final.
