Alexander Zverev has declared himself the best tennis player in the world following his US Open victory, sending a pointed message to world number one Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.
The German star defeated Ben Shelton in Sunday’s final at New York, much to the disappointment of the home crowd.
Zverev was competing in his sixth major final compared to Shelton’s first, and the difference showed as he claimed a 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-2 victory that dashed American hopes of a first men’s singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003.
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Zverev won the US Open…and he didn’t realise!!!
The 29-year-old has been the standout force in Grand Slam competition this season, with Alcaraz — the Australian Open champion — exiting the US Open in the quarter-finals against Shelton after a prolonged injury absence, while Sinner withdrew before the tournament began due to injury despite having won Wimbledon earlier in the year.
Zverev broke through for his maiden major title at the French Open and subsequently reached the final at Wimbledon, where he fell to Sinner.
He stands at 25-2 in Grand Slam matches during 2026 and believes he deserves recognition as the world’s best.
“You have to take everything into consideration,” he said. “With Jannik Sinner being injured and Carlos Alcaraz coming back from injury after four months, right now, probably yes. Both of them healthy and both of them at the top of their game, maybe not.
“But if we say right now, with Jannik being injured and Carlos coming back from injury, maybe. I mean, four or five months ago when both of them were healthy, I wasn’t. I was losing to Jannik all the time. So if everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still ahead. It’s as simple as that.”
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Zverev explained to Sky Sports that he didn’t realise he had won the US open as he thought the score was was 5-1!
Zverev was so consumed by the moment that he did not even register his championship victory when Shelton hit a service return long.
As the umpire called out “Game, set and match Zverev,” the German walked back toward the baseline, preparing to receive serve — only belatedly acknowledging the standing ovation from the crowd with a smile before rushing to the net to embrace Shelton.
Speaking to Sky Sports Tennis, he said: “I thought the score was 5-1! I knew that I had broken him twice, but I thought he only held once.
“I was thinking: ‘Okay, I’m going to have a relaxed service game here and then I’ll get tight on the next one.’ It was lucky for me!
“It’s actually funny — they always say in tennis to play each point and forget about the score. Well, I forgot about the score and it helped me!”
Can Zverev become world No 1?
Zverev is now in a strong position to make a push for the world number one ranking, becoming the 30th player in history with a realistic opportunity.
When the latest rankings are released, he will hold 9,690 points, trailing Sinner by just 1,810 points. Zverev has only 1,080 points to defend for the remainder of the season, compared to Sinner’s 3,550.
Shelton wants more of the same
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Ben Shelton ended on the floor as Zverev hit this stunning passing shot during the final
Shelton said he was eager to experience another Grand Slam final on tennis’s biggest stage.
“It’s such a cool moment. Walking out on that court today, there’s nothing like it. I’ve never felt anything like that before. Yeah, it’s an addicting feeling being in positions like this,” said the 23-year-old.
The USTA previously pointed to Taylor Fritz’s 2024 campaign as evidence of progress, after announcing a significant overhaul to its player development programme. The national governing body has also moved to diversify its talent through a partnership with the American Tennis Association, focusing on building Black representation in an overwhelmingly white sport.
Shelton made history simply by taking to the court on Sunday as the first Black American man to reach the US Open men’s singles final in 54 years — since Arthur Ashe, for whom the tournament’s showpiece court is named.
“I don’t think I’m anywhere near the player that I want to be. I think I’m a great competitor. I think I compete really well out there on the court,” said Shelton.
“I’m able to stay focused and stay there on the court for many, many hours. I think that’s going to help me in the future moving forward.”
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Shelton thought he hit a 158mph serve at the US Open semi-finals, but in fact it was 144mph according to Hawk-Eye
Henman: Zverev has transformed from a player who was going backwards a year ago
“The perseverance and the way Zverev’s game has improved over the last 12 months,” said the 2004 US Open semi-finalist. “I was looking back at his Grand Slam results, and his game was going backwards.
“But he has transformed himself to be more aggressive, and when you reflect on this matchup, Zverev had beaten Shelton five times in a row.
“Shelton had to change the narrative, but Zverev looked so comfortable.
“Shelton did a great job getting that third set, but losing his serve in the first game of the fourth settled Zverev down and gave him more energy. He coasted to the line from there.”
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