Arabic version: زفيريف وشيلتون يطاردان لقبهما الأول في بطولة أميركا المفتوحة

According to BBC News, Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton will meet in Sunday’s US Open men’s final, with both players seeking their first title at the tournament. German top seed Zverev has moved beyond the dominance of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, while American eighth seed Shelton has reached a major final after beating elite opponents in New York.

Shelton, 23, will have the support of a partisan 24,000-strong home crowd. He said the tournament had been “uncharted territory”, adding: “I’m in positions I’ve never been in before. I’ve beaten guys I’ve never beaten before.” To lift the trophy, he must beat Zverev for the first time after losing each of their five previous meetings.

Zverev, 29, is aiming to add the US Open to the French Open title he won this season. After losing three major finals, including the 2020 US Open final to Dominic Thiem after leading by two sets, Zverev has reached a third successive Grand Slam final. He finished runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon and has steadily improved after difficult early rounds at Flushing Meadows.

The absence of Alcaraz from the French Open and Wimbledon, along with Sinner being ruled out of the US Open, created an opportunity for another player to challenge for major titles. Zverev said he believed he could finish 2026 with more major wins than the pair, while acknowledging the expectation that they could meet in all four Grand Slam finals.

Shelton is bidding to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title in 23 years and the first home US Open men’s singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003. He could also become the first black American man to win a singles major since Arthur Ashe in 1975. Shelton has won four titles this season and beat Alcaraz in a quarter-final that ended at 3:34am.