New York: Alexander Zverev captured his second Grand Slam title and second major of the year by defeating American Ben Shelton in the US Open men’s singles final, 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2.
With his three-hour, 33-minute victory, Zverev has moved 700 points clear of Sinner atop the ATP Live Race To Turin, which serves as a barometer for who will claim ATP Year-End No. 1.
Zverev was contesting his sixth Grand Slam final and third this year, while Shelton had never before reached that stage in his career.
The German, who is 25-2 at the majors this year, is firmly in contention for the year-end crown despite having won only two titles — both of them Grand Slam trophies.
In his victory speech, Zverev paid special tribute to his mother and intimated that not winning a Grand Slam was hardly the hardest obstacle he faced. “When your 4-year-old son gets diagnosed with diabetes and doctors in the office tell you that life and sports will be very limited for that child, it takes a very, very strong mother to walk out of those offices and say ‘My son will be whatever he wants to be,’” Zverev said.
“If he wants to be a tennis player, he’ll be a tennis player. If he wants to do something else, he’ll do something else. But this illness will not define us. And I’m happy that we worked through it, and that we’re doing things that we’re doing right now,” he added.
Shelton was vying to become the first American man to win a major since Andy Roddick achieved the feat in Flushing Meadows 23 years ago. But he could not overcome the No. 1 seed, who lifted his maiden Slam trophy at Roland Garros this spring.
The American was also aiming to become just the second African American man to triumph at this level after Arthur Ashe in 1975. Despite defeat in his first major final, the 23-year-old, who defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, will rise to a new career-high No. 4 in the ATP Rankings.
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