Ben Shelton will take on Alexander Zverev in the men's US Open final on Sunday, September 12, and there is one question many tennis fans are asking: Can an American win in New York for the first time in decades? In essence, can Shelton have his Andy Murray moment?
Murray, of course, won his home nation's Grand Slam, Wimbledon, in 2013. He was the first Brit in 77 years to accomplish the feat. Americans wouldn't need to wait nearly that long if Shelton were able to defeat Zverev, as it has only been 23 years since Andy Roddick delighted the New York crowd with a victory.
Still, the difference in time could extend if Shelton can't beat the German on Sunday. This year's US Open is a bit different because the two best men's players in the sport either didn't play or weren't completely 100 percent. Jannik Sinner is suffering from a knee injury and had to withdraw ahead of the start of the major. Carlos Alcaraz was returning to tennis after a nearly five-month layoff.
US Open men's final prediction: Will Ben Shelton delight Americans?
Once Sinner and Alcaraz return in top form, every other player has diminished hopes for winning a Grand Slam.
If Sinner and Alcaraz entered the tournament in top form and fully healthy, there is a good chance that neither Shelton nor Zverev is in the final. The former two are simply better than everyone else currently, but bringing up the situation of whether we have somewhat of a false final only detracts from what could be a magical Sunday in Flushing Meadows.
Zverev should be favored. He is the more accomplished player and has the more consistently successful year. He pushed his way to his first career Grand Slam title when he won the French Open. He also reached the Wimbledon final before losing to Sinner.
But there is an odd reality to the German's major runs in 2026, and quite telling about the absence of either Alcaraz or Sinner. Zverev has lost just twice at majors this year and has a record of 24-2, but against top-10-ranked players he is only 1-2. His only victory was against Taylor Fritz at Wimbledon, and Fritz was obviously not fully healthy.
Still, he has taken advantage of the true top two players, mostly missing since before the French Open, and no other player consistently has.
Ben Shelton in front of a New York audience might be a different situation altogether. Shelton is keenly aware that no American has won since 2003, and he feeds off the volume of a crowd, especially one that is on his side. No doubt that those in attendance inside Arthur Ashe Stadium will be almost entirely rooting for Shelton.
To be fair to the American, he is in the final for a reason. He is playing brilliant tennis, and his skill set is tailor-made for hard courts. If he is in his best form, he can defeat the metronomic German. He has already defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, though Alcaraz wasn't at his best level.
So who wins? Like Alexander Zverev in five sets. He simply doesn't normally suffer the emotional ups and downs in important matches that others do.
The men's US Open will take place no earlier than 2 pm ET on Sunday, September 13. Those watching in the United States can tune in to ABC to see the match. For all other locations, you can click here for more information.
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