US Open, Ben Shelton vs. Alexander Zverev Final: The German Responds to the Provocation Regarding Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz
No matter how things turn out on Sunday, the U.S. Open will have a new champion—one who has never before won at Flushing Meadows: The men’s final will feature Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev, who will face off in the decisive match scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Italian time (subject to change) on September 13. Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe in a come-from-behind victory, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, while Zverev got the better of Karen Khachanov, beating him 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6).
Zverev, in his postmatch press conference, also got something off his chest: the German had already shed the label of “successful underdog” (at least at the Grand Slam level) in Paris, and is now firmly focused on reaching his third Grand Slam final of the season—more than Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, who, for various reasons, have each reached only one final: “I believed in it, absolutely. Maybe some of you thought otherwise,” he said, smiling at the reporters present.
“I’m already very happy with how this season has gone so far,” Zverev added. “Now I have to focus on Sunday’s match. Playing against an American in New York? I like these challenges: I’ve faced Australians in Melbourne, and at Wimbledon I played Arthur Fery. The crowd can certainly be a factor, and I’m aware of that—the important thing is that they behave appropriately and don’t interfere in the middle of points.”
On the other side of the draw, Zverev will face Shelton, who prior to today had never advanced beyond a couple of Grand Slam semifinals—at the 2023 U.S. Open and in Australia in 2025. The American, who knocked out Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, is already fired up: “I’m thrilled for my team even more than for myself,” he said following his victory over Tiafoe. “But the job isn’t done yet—there’s a final to play. Is the final uncharted territory? To be honest, this whole tournament has been a bit of uncharted territory: I’m happy to be here.”
