Ben Shelton plays Alexander Zverev for the US Open title Sunday, September 13 at 2 p.m. ET on ABC. Shelton is three sets from becoming the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003, and he has never beaten Zverev.
| Date | Sunday, September 13, 2026 |
| Time | 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT |
| TV | ABC, with ESPN Deportes in Spanish |
| Streaming | ESPN app, Fubo, YouTube TV, Hulu Live, Sling, DirecTV Stream |
| Head to head | Zverev leads 5-0 |
| At stake | First American men’s major since 2003; Zverev’s second major |
The Head-to-Head Is Ugly
Zverev has won all five meetings and 10 of the 11 sets they have played. Shelton took the opening set of their first match at the 2024 Cincinnati Open and has not won a set against him since, including a 6-2, 6-4 loss in the 2025 Munich final. Four of the five wins were in straight sets. Sunday is their first Grand Slam meeting and their first on this kind of stage.
The tactical reason is consistent: Zverev returns from deep, which buys time against the serve, and his reach puts balls back that would ace most opponents. Once the rally starts, Shelton’s left-handed forehand runs into Zverev’s two-handed backhand, the exact shot he is most comfortable absorbing and redirecting.
Why Shelton Can Still Win It
None of those five meetings came on a fast New York hard court with 24,000 people behind him. Shelton is having the best season of his career: four titles in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and Montreal, and a 39-13 record. He beat Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that finished at 3:33 a.m., his first win over a top-three player, then beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinal after dropping the opener.
His path is holding serve, forcing tiebreaks and making Zverev play the big points in front of a hostile crowd. Zverev has a habit of being reactive when he is content to wait for errors.
The Two Resumes
| Shelton | Zverev | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 23 | 29 |
| Seed | No. 8 | No. 1 |
| Major finals | First | Sixth, 1-4 in them |
| 2026 titles | Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart, Montreal | French Open |
| US Open record | 15-4 | 34-10, runner-up 2020 |
Zverev has reached three straight Grand Slam finals this year, winning the French Open and losing at Wimbledon. He beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) in Friday’s semifinal, coming from behind in both tiebreaks. Shelton is the youngest American men’s US Open finalist since a 21-year-old Roddick in 2003, and he will rise to No. 4 in the world after the tournament regardless of the result.
The Prediction
The head-to-head and Zverev’s form make him the logical favorite, and the fatigue gap is real: Shelton has played a five-setter finishing after 3 a.m. and a four-set semifinal in the last five days. But this is the most favorable setting Shelton has ever had against him, and the one thing Zverev has never faced from him is a fast court plus a full Ashe crowd. Zverev in four is the sensible call; Shelton in five is the one that would break a 23-year drought.
Related
US Open schedule today · Last American man to win the US Open · Shelton vs. Tiafoe head to head · ATP rankings
The Bottom Line
Shelton vs. Zverev, Sunday at 2 p.m. ET on ABC. Zverev leads the head-to-head 5-0 and has taken 10 of 11 sets, but Shelton is playing the best tennis of his life with New York behind him and 23 years of American drought on the line. The result will be posted here when the match ends.