The 2026 US Open wrapped up with two finals that each carried their own piece of tennis history. Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka for the women’s title and will take over as world No. 1, while Alexander Zverev outlasted American Ben Shelton in four sets, extending the longest active Grand Slam drought in men’s tennis.
Rybakina Ends Sabalenka’s Reign at No. 1
Rybakina won 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, closing out the deciding set by dropping just three points on her own serve. It’s her third Grand Slam title, and it comes with a bigger prize: she takes over the world No. 1 ranking, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week run at the top. The loss also cost Sabalenka a shot at a three-peat in New York, which would have put her alongside Serena Williams and Chris Evert as the only women to pull it off.
Zverev’s Near-Perfect Season Continues
On the men’s side, top seed Alexander Zverev beat Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2, cruising through the first two sets before Shelton’s improved net play pulled the third set back. Zverev closed it out in the fourth. It’s Zverev’s second major title of the season, following his breakthrough win at Roland Garros in June and a Wimbledon final appearance a few weeks later — putting him among a small group of men in the Open Era to win two majors in the same season. He now leads Shelton 6-0 in their career head-to-head.
Why Shelton’s Loss Still Matters
Shelton was playing in his first Grand Slam final, and a win would have ended a 23-year wait for an American man to win a major singles title — the last was Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open. It also would have made him the first African American man to win a major since Arthur Ashe in 1975. The run to the final, including a five-set win over fellow American Frances Tiafoe, still marks Shelton’s best Grand Slam result to date.
What’s Next
With Rybakina now at No. 1 and Zverev chasing history with back-to-back major finals runs, both storylines carry straight into the rest of the season — and the American men’s drought remains the backdrop every time a U.S. player reaches a late round from here on out.