NEW YORK — Ben Shelton will have to wait longer for his first grand slam title. Alexander Zverev defeated Shelton in the U.S. Open men’s singles championship on Sunday afternoon.
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Zverev won the first two sets (6-3, 7-6) before Shelton won the third set (7-5). But the 29-year-old German served for the championship and captured his first U.S. Open title with a fourth set win (6-2).
Runner-up at the U.S. Open marked a career-best finish for Shelton. The Atlanta-born tennis star was looking to become the first American man to win a major championship since Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003.
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Shortly after the loss, Shelton spoke at the podium. He acknowledged the hard work that Zverev put into his championship run and congratulated him on another major win.
“You’re one of the best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year,” Shelton told Zverev. “You and your team do things the right way.”
Shelton continued to thank his family, including his father and coach Bryan Shelton, for all their support. He then addressed the New York crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium for showing up all week.
“This is my happy place. The place I love to spend time. I love you all,” Shelton said.
“I’m just getting started and I’ll be back here again.”
Zverev agreed.
“If I had to bet all my money on it, I would bet you would lift this trophy one day,” he said.