Shelton faces Zverev in U.S. Open final seeking to end American men's Grand Slam drought

Shelton's bid to end a 23-year American drought

Ben Shelton, the 23-year-old No. 8 seed, faces top-seeded Alexander Zverev on Sunday in the U.S. Open men's final with a chance to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003. Shelton was not yet a year old at the time of Roddick's triumph, and a victory at Flushing Meadows would end a drought that has stretched across more than two decades of men's major tennis.

Head-to-head and form going into the final

Shelton enters the final 0-5 against Zverev in their career meetings, having won just one set across those matches, but said he has never been more confident in his tennis. The American's path to the final included a five-set quarterfinal win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in U.S. Open history. Should he beat Zverev, Shelton would become the first man to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds en route to the U.S. Open title since 1975.

Zverev's bid for a second major of 2026

Zverev, 28, won the French Open in June and is bidding to become the first player to capture his first two major titles in the same year since Jannik Sinner in 2024. After dropping the first two rounds in five-setters, the top seed has not lost a set since and is 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this year. The German also reached the Wimbledon final and previously held a two-set lead in the 2020 U.S. Open final against Dominic Thiem before becoming the first man to blow such a lead in a U.S. Open final since 1949.

Other developments

Separately, Nike released an official Alex Eala T-shirt featuring a sampaguita motif honoring the Philippines' national flower and the tennis player's Filipino heritage.