Shelton seeks to end 23-year US Open drought against Zverev

Ben Shelton will walk onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday afternoon carrying the weight of twenty-three years. No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick claimed the US Open in 2003, and at twenty-three years old, Shelton has the chance to end that drought. He will face Alexander Zverev, the world's second-ranked player and the reigning French Open champion, in a final that pits a breakthrough American against a German who has finally broken through at the sport's highest level.

Shelton's path to this moment has been improbable. He defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals—a five-set match that stretched past 3:30 in the morning, the latest finish in US Open history. On Friday, he beat Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semifinal, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5. He has won matches against players he had never beaten before. He has been in positions he has never occupied. When asked about the magnitude of what lies ahead, Shelton spoke with the clarity of someone who understands he is living through something he cannot yet fully comprehend. "This whole tournament at this point has been uncharted territory," he told reporters. "I'm in positions I've never been in before. I've beaten guys that I've never beaten before. I'm just excited to put it all out on the line."

Zverev arrives as the more experienced finalist, though his own journey to this stage has been marked by redemption. Six years ago, he lost the US Open final to Dominic Thiem in a match played in an empty stadium during the COVID-19 pandemic. That loss left what he called scar tissue. But three months ago, he won the French Open, defeating Italy's Flavio Cobolli in five sets. He followed that with a runner-up finish at Wimbledon. Now, returning to Arthur Ashe for a second final, everything feels different to him. "I've played in a lot of other finals. I've played a lot of big matches since then," Zverev said. "Back then, of course, it was my first Grand Slam final. I was inexperienced … just different. Everything is different."

The head-to-head record between them tells a clear story: Zverev leads 5-0, with four of those victories coming in 2025. Their most significant meeting before Sunday was the Munich clay-court final, which Zverev won in straight sets. Yet Zverev's record in major finals outside his recent French Open victory is stark—one win and four losses. Shelton, meanwhile, has never played in a Grand Slam final before. His previous best results at the majors were semifinal appearances at the 2025 Australian Open and the 2023 US Open.

Despite Zverev's dominance in their head-to-head and his status as the top seed, Shelton has emerged as the betting favorite. His form in New York has been electric. The home crowd at Arthur Ashe will be sold out and behind him. He is ranked ninth in the world, and his performances throughout this tournament suggest he belongs on this stage. Shelton is also chasing history beyond the American drought: if he wins, he will become the first Black American man to capture the US Open singles title since Arthur Ashe in 1968.

Zverev acknowledged that the atmosphere on Sunday will be decidedly different from his first US Open final. Then, the stadium was empty. Now, it will be full, and the crowd will be roaring for his opponent. "I am pretty sure that the atmosphere is going to be very, very different on Sunday, as well," he said. "I think it's going to be a fantastic feeling playing a final in a sold-out Arthur Ashe and not in an empty one." The winner will take home $5.5 million. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m. local time on Sunday, September 13.