With U.S. Open title, Alexander Zverev should be ATP Player of the Year

Alexander Zverev entered 2026 as arguably the best player to never win a Grand Slam. Zverev advanced to the semifinal in the Australian Open, won titles in the French and U.S. Opens and was the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2026. Zverev beat Ben Shelton, 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday to win the US Open.

Shelton's loss extended the 23-year drought for American men without a Grand Slam title. Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a championship when he won the 2003 U.S. Open title. Shelton became the first American man to win a set in a Grand Slam final since Roddick lost in five sets to Roger Federer in the 2009 Wimbledon title match.

Zverev finished with 25 wins and two losses in 2026 Grand Slams. Zverev took advantage of Carlos Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon and Jannik Sinner losing early at Roland Garros and missing the U.S. Open with a knee injury. Shelton eliminated Alcaraz in an epic quarterfinal, clearing the path for Zverev as the No. 1 seed.

With the U.S. Open title, Zverev broke a tie with Sinner as the top player in the 2026 Race to Turin for the ATP Tour Finals in November. Zverev now has 8,650 points in 2026. Sinner is second with 7,950 points. Shelton is third with 4,430 ATP Tour points in 2026.