Shelton and Zverev set for US Open final with American history at stake

Ben Shelton is scheduled to face Alexander Zverev in the US Open men’s singles final at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Sunday, with the American seeking his first Grand Slam title.

Shelton reached his first major final after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5. He had earlier beaten defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals.

The 23-year-old is also attempting to end a 23-year wait for an American men’s singles Grand Slam champion, dating back to Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open victory. Shelton’s previous best major results were semi-final appearances at the 2025 Australian Open and the 2023 US Open.

Zverev secured his place in the final with a 6–3, 7–6 (9–7), 7–6 (8–6) win over Karen Khachanov. The German won his first Grand Slam title at this year’s French Open and was runner-up at Wimbledon.

Zverev leads Shelton 5–0 in their head-to-head record, but has lost four of his five Grand Slam finals. The final will be his second at the US Open, six years after he lost to Dominic Thiem in 2020.

The winner is due to receive $5.5 million, with $2.8 million for the runner-up, according to details reported by Al Jazeera.