NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have yet another new coach working with a general manager in his second season with the franchise. They also spent more than anyone else in the NFL to kick off free agency in March.
Not even the new uniforms helped as they looked like the same old Titans with yet another loss.
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New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs for a first down pursued by Tennessee Titans cornerback Cor'dale Flott (18) and safety Kevin Winston Jr. (23) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) scrambles past New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Fans stand for the National Anthem at the start of an NFL football game between the Tennessee Titans and the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh speaks to journalists following an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) reacts on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
The Titans lost 23-10 to the New York Jets with new coach Robert Saleh’s debut Sunday spoiled by the team he used to coach. They were so dominated that fans booed early and often before many simply left for air-conditioning on a steamy day when the temperature felt around 100 degrees.
“When you have a product like that, when you have a bad performance like that, it is hard to blame anybody,” Titans left guard Peter Skoronski said. “If you want to keep guys in their seats, you’ve got to play well.”
That's what Saleh was hired to fix, and he brought in an experienced staff featuring former Giants coach Brian Daboll as his offensive coordinator and another former NFL head coach in Gus Bradley as his defensive coordinator. Saleh said he was surprised by what happened, though he cautioned this is a young team.
His message is that the Titans (0-1) will get better.
“I can throw podiums around if you want to make everyone feel good, but it’s really go back, watch the tape, figure it out, and see if we can get better from this," Saleh said when asked if he was mad at the performance.
The Titans have plenty to fix.
The defense was on the field for nearly 39 minutes, which included allowing a 19-play drive that used up 11:48 off the clock in the first half. Nobody sacked Geno Smith, who tied Cam Ward with 55 sacks last season as the NFL's most sacked quarterbacks.
On offense, the Titans managed only 195 yards, with 65 coming on the one touchdown drive that was too late to matter.
Ward was sacked three times and scrambled much of the game. He finished with 21 yards rushing on four carries and threw for 140 yards with his one TD pass with 2:42 left. The bright spot was the Titans didn’t turn the ball over offensively.
One difference between now and last season is the Titans have more input into both the offense and defense, according to Ward. He believes coaches are listening to what the Titans want to do, which will help the team.
“It’s only Week 1. We’ve got 16 left,” Ward said. “We just got to take it each and every day and try to get some wins.”
Special teams had the one turnover from All-Pro returner Chimere Dike. He lost the ball on a kickoff return after being checked for a concussion on a play where a teammate was pushed into him while fielding a punt.
The Titans have lost six straight season openers as they try to snap a skid of four straight losing seasons. In 2024, they lost then-coach Brian Callahan's Tennessee debut and finished 3-14. Callahan was fired six games into the franchise's second consecutive 3-14 record in 2025.
All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons said he hopes fans stick with the Titans.
“We’re going to go through them growing pains,” Simmons said.
See AP’s full NFL coverage here
New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) runs for a first down pursued by Tennessee Titans cornerback Cor'dale Flott (18) and safety Kevin Winston Jr. (23) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) scrambles past New York Jets defensive end Will McDonald IV (9) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Fans stand for the National Anthem at the start of an NFL football game between the Tennessee Titans and the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Tennessee Titans head coach Robert Saleh speaks to journalists following an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) reacts on the bench during the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
NEW YORK (AP) — Alexander Zverev's best year in tennis goes on, and so does that lengthy Grand Slam drought for American men.
Zverev won his second major championship and disappointed a crowd that was desperate to see the first Grand Slam title by an American man since 2003, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday in the U.S. Open final.
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.
But Zverev was too good in majors this year and apparently didn't even know how good he was. He finished the match on his serve but didn't seem to realize it, dropping back behind the baseline as if set to return. Only a few moments later did he figure out he had won, raising his arms in celebration.
“You’re one of the very best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year,” Shelton told Zverev.
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.
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)
