NEW YORK — Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-2 to win the 2026 US Open final at Flushing Meadows, claiming his second Grand Slam title in three months after his Roland Garros victory. Top seed and world No 2 Zverev beat first-time major finalist Shelton in four sets, yet world No 55 Tallon Griekspoor — beaten by Shelton in the first round — branded the showpiece "pretty mediocre."
"I thought the match was pretty mediocre," Griekspoor told De Telegraaf. The 30-year-old Dutchman said Shelton's inexperience was clear on the big stage. "Shelton was very inconsistent and gave away two or three free points every game. You can see what a first Slam final can do to a player." He added, "Zverev wasn’t exceptional, but he served really well. The second-set tiebreak was crucial."
Much of the pre-match and post-match focus was on Zverev's ball-bouncing routine. An ESPN graphic before the final showed he had bounced the ball nearly 13,000 times across six matches, a habit Shelton also criticized afterward. Griekspoor was blunt about the viewing experience. "There were other sports going on and I just find it difficult to watch Zverev," he said. "Especially at this tournament, where he bounced the ball 400 times before every serve. It was extreme, but apparently it helped him. Maybe I should do it too."
Shelton reached the final after a five-set quarter-final win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and a four-set semi-final victory over fellow American Frances Tiafoe. The US Open was Alcaraz's first tournament since April after four months sidelined with a wrist injury. Griekspoor also questioned the Spaniard's response to defeat. "Alcaraz should have beaten him in the quarter-finals, but he played a nightmare fifth-set tiebreak," he said. "Then he walked off the court smiling. That made me feel like his expectations were different. He hadn’t arrived at the tournament at his best, so I think he and his team were already satisfied."