Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton final Live, US Open 2026
Both players are chasing a maiden crown at Flushing Meadows
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Alexander Zverev downed Russia’s Karen Khachanov in three sets, 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in the US Open 2026 semi-finals, making his third Grand Slam final of the season. The top seed held his nerve, winning two tie-breaks en route to his second US Open final.
The German has not dropped a set since his opening couple of rounds, and repeated the same result against Khachanov after spending three hours on court.
Related: Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton: Which player has the best odds to win US Open 2026?
Zverev is now level with Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the ATP Live Race to Turin. The World No. 2 won his first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in May and also made the championship round at Wimbledon. He is 24-2 at majors this year and is on the brink of winning his second Grand Slam title in 2026.
Shelton 🆚 Zverev
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 12, 2026
Sunday in New York. pic.twitter.com/vGaBKJw1EK
Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semi-final, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, and booked passage to his first major final. The last American to win the US Open was Andy Roddick in 2003.
Shelton is on the verge of making history and is a win away from the biggest trophy of his career and ending a 23-year wait for a homegrown champion.
In Zverev’s case, the wait for a German man to win in New York will be even longer. Boris Becker was the last German to win the men’s singles title — in 1989.
Shelton is now 4-1 against Tiafoe, with all five matches taking place on home turf, including three at Flushing Meadows. The 23-year-old is the first US Open finalist since Taylor Fritz in 2024.
Match details
Tournament: US Open 2026
Round: Final
Date: September 13
Venue: New York, United States of America
Surface: Hard
Related: Preview: Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton prediction, betting tips & odds, head-to-head
Preview
Zverev holds a 5-0 advantage over Shelton in their head-to-head. However, the American is fresh off defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the last eight and will ride a wave of crowd support ahead of his first Grand Slam final.
Shelton, the World No. 9, is up to fourth place in the Live Race to Turin and is 4-0 in finals with wins at Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and Montreal. The Atlanta native had to dig deep against Alcaraz in a match that ended at 3:30 AM local time before defeating compatriot Tiafoe in the final four.
Shelton also made history as the first Black American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Ashe lost in five sets to Romanian Ilie Nastase.
Form
Alexander Zverev: W-W-W-W-W
Ben Shelton: W-W-W-W-W
Head-to-head record
Matches: 5
Alexander Zverev: 5
Ben Shelton: 0
Stats
Alexander Zverev:
Zverev has a 52-13 win-loss record in the 2026 season.
Zverev has a 34-10 win-loss record at the US Open.
Zverev has won 69% of matches played on hard courts.
Ben Shelton:
Shelton has a 38-13 win-loss record in the 2026 season.
Shelton has a 15-4 win-loss record at the US Open.
Shelton has won 64% of matches played on hard courts.
Where and when will Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton final match take place at US Open 2026?
The men’s singles title match will be played at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 13 (Sunday). It is scheduled to begin at 2 Ppm local time (11:30 pm IST).
What is the overall head-to-head record between Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton?
They have met five times on tour, and Zverev has won all five meetings.
Has Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton clashed at Grand Slams previously?
No, this is set to be their first-ever meeting in a tennis Major.
Who is the favourite to win the Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton men’s singles final at US Open 2026?
Taking on Zverev won’t be an easy prospect for Shelton. The German has won the past 10 sets between them. This will be their first meeting at a major. Zverev is playing in his sixth Slam final and has reached at least the semis at all four Grand Slams in 2026. His campaign in New York got off to a rocky start, having played back-to-back five-setters against Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys in the opening couple of rounds. Meanwhile, Shelton has had a productive North American swing, retaining his ATP 1000 title in Montreal and making the finals in New York for the first time. The American has vastly improved since his last clash with Zverev in Turin last year and is currently playing the best tennis of his career.
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