Alexander Zverev beats Ben Shelton to win the US Open title and extend a drought by American men

NEW YORK (AP) — Alexander Zverev knew what he was up against, playing a U.S. Open final in a stadium full of people desperate to at last see another American champion.

He tuned out the screams for Ben Shelton for so long that he didn't even realize when he won, not hearing the chair umpire's announcement that the match was over.

“In that moment I was in the zone, a lot," Zverev said. “I didn’t hear noise at all. I was in this kind of tunnel where I just didn’t hear anything.”

Zverev used that focus to win a second major championship and prevent a first Grand Slam title by an American man since 2003, beating Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday.

Zverev finally broke through in the majors by winning this year’s French Open and followed up by adding the title in New York that he so painfully let slip away in 2020.

The No. 1 seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, he capitalized on Shelton’s shaky start in his first major final, played a nearly flawless tiebreaker on serve and then turned back a comeback attempt in front of a crowd that feverishly cheered Shelton on — including girlfriend Trinity Rodman, who made it from her own soccer match in Washington before the finish.

“I know today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I’m very sorry first of all,” Zverev said during the trophy presentation. “But second, it was an incredible atmosphere to play in. Even though I know that the crowd was against me, the crowd was always incredibly fair.”

Shelton was trying to win the first title by an American man since Andy Roddick won in Flushing Meadows in 2003, as well as become the first Black player to win the men's crown since Arthur Ashe in 1968.

“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,” Shelton said.

But Zverev was too good in majors this year and apparently didn't even know how good he was. After hitting a serve winner, he dropped back behind the baseline as if set to return. Zverev, who later explained he thought the score was 5-1, eventually did figure out he had won, raising his arms in celebration.

Zverev improved to 25-2 in major matches this year and won $5.5 million, matching the prize earned by women’s champion Elena Rybakina on Saturday as the largest in Grand Slam history.

“You’re one of the very best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year,” Shelton told Zverev.

He thought this title would come in 2020 and still acknowledges it should have. He won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem and got within two points of victory before becoming the first man to blow a two-set lead and lose in the final since 1949.

Whatever ghosts were left from then are long gone now.

Zverev also reached the final at Wimbledon, falling to Jannik Sinner, and became the No. 1 seed in New York when the top-ranked Sinner had to withdraw with a knee injury. He made the most of opportunities that came when Carlos Alcaraz had to sit out two majors and Sinner missed another, after they played in three straight Grand Slam finals in 2025.

“I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” Zverev said, addressing his team.

Shelton had already eliminated the defending champion when he beat No. 2 seed Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in U.S. Open history.

But he fell short on Sunday in his attempt to become the first man to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds en route to the U.S. Open title since 1975.

The No. 8 seed fell to 0-6 against Zverev, winning a set Sunday for only the second time.

The 23-year-old Shelton figures to get more chances, but Americans who have grown tired of waiting to celebrate a men’s title wanted it now.

Fans stood and screamed when Shelton emerged from the tunnel before the match, but he didn’t give them any reason to keep the cheers going once play began. Serving first, he lost the opening two points and then eventually handed the game to Zverev with a double-fault.

Zverev maintained that lead the rest of the set, which ended on another double-fault by Shelton.

Zverev’s deliberate playing style helped limit the crowd’s effectiveness. Fans are expected to quiet down as a player is preparing to serve and stay quiet until the ensuing point has completed.

Zverev bounces the ball a number of times — sometimes around 10, maybe a dozen, others nearly 20, insisting there is no set pattern or plan — before he begins his toss, so it guarantees lengthy stretches of silence.

Fans tried to get around that by occasionally cheering when he missed a first serve — another tennis no-no that the chair umpire scolded them for — but Zverev, who said before the match he enjoyed hostile crowds, did not seem affected.

Then, with fans chanting “USA! USA!” Zverev turned back Shelton's chance to even the match in the tiebreaker.

Shelton returned Zverev’s opening serve long, was beaten by a superb passing shot and then came up on the wrong end of a 16-shot rally as Zverev went up 3-0. Zverev then hit serves of 147 mph and 124 mph that Shelton couldn’t get back in play. Shelton cut it to 5-2 and then got a return in play for the only time, but Zverev won the point and then hit another serve at 139 mph to close it out.

Shelton kept fighting, at one point diving in an attempt to get a volley back, resting his head on his hands when he couldn't and then banging his hand to the court. He picked himself back up and finally broke Zverev for the only time to win the third set.

But with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and number of their teammates in attendance, Shelton couldn’t pull off a championship comeback like those New York Knicks did in June. He was broken to begin the fourth, the second time in the match he dropped his opening service game, forcing him to play from behind again.

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Ben Shelton, of the United States, looks on after his loss in the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, left, and Alexander Zverev, of Germany, right, pose for a photo together with their trophies after Zverev won the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after he lost the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, poses with the trophy after he won the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Ben Shelton, of the United States, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, celebrates after he won the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Ben Shelton, of the United States, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, reaches to return the ball to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, returns the ball to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, spins his racket during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns the ball to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, serves the ball to Karen Khachanov, of Russia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after he won his match against Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns the ball to Karen Khachanov, of Russia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, hits balls to audience after he won his match against Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

ISTANBUL (AP) — A seven-story building in Istanbul partially collapsed on Thursday, killing one person, officials said. Emergency crews were trying to reach at least three people that remained trapped inside.

The reason for the collapse was not immediately known and an investigation was underway. Rescue teams were working to reach those trapped even as there were warnings of a further collapse of the building.

The building’s three lower floors, including a ground-floor shop, caved in before dawn in the district of Maltepe, on the Asian side of Istanbul, a city that is bisected by the Bosporus Strait.

Residents from the upper floors were safely evacuated while search teams rescued eight more people from the rubble. The rescuers recovered one body and were trying to reach three people still believed to be inside, according to the Interior Ministry.

Earlier, Davut Gul, the governor of Istanbul, said rescuers had made contact with a 6-year-old trapped in the rubble. It was not immediately clear if the child was among those rescued.

He warned that the building was at risk of further collapse, hampering the rescue efforts. Nearby buildings were also evacuated for safety, the governor said.

Istanbul and other parts of Turkey are undergoing an urban transformation program that aims to replace old and earthquake-risky buildings with safer housing.

Firefighters and rescue team members work next to a partially collapsed seven-storey building in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (Abdullah Tepeli/DIA Photo via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work next to a partially collapsed seven-storey building in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (Abdullah Tepeli/DIA Photo via AP)

Police and rescue team members work next to a partially collapsed seven-storey building in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (Abdullah Tepeli/DIA Photo via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work next to a partially collapsed seven storey building in Istanbul, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (Abdullah Tepeli/DIA Photo via AP)