New York has long been desperate to finally crown an American Grand Slam winner since Andy Roddick at the US Open in 2003. But from the first few points in the final against Ben Shelton, it was clear that the German top seed was far better mentally prepared for the battle.
At the US Open, Zverev may have benefited from the absence of the world number one, and just like during his triumph at Roland Garros, he avoided facing the biggest favourite. In Paris, the injured Carlos Alcaraz was missing; this time it was Jannik Sinner.
Even the draw worked in his favour, giving him a smooth path, and he only faced his toughest opponent - the world number nine, Shelton - at the very end.
"A few months ago, when both were healthy, I kept losing to Jannik. And if everyone is healthy, I think Jannik is still really a step ahead," Zverev admitted. But it's not fair to say he didn't deserve the title. The tall German peaked at the right time, and the trophy is rightfully his.
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Key Moments
Zverev vs Sonego 6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 7-5, 6-4
His run could have been over in the very first round. Even though Lorenzo Sonego has never made it into the world's top 20, he pushed the Roland Garros champion for nearly five hours. Zverev immediately got a taste of the night match atmosphere and closed out a rainy third day of the tournament.
"Lorenzo played the way he knows how. He's an amazing tennis player," Zverev praised his rival, who was just two points away from victory.
Zverev vs Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6, 6-7, 6-3
The second round wasn't smooth either. The favourite had to go five sets again, finishing long after midnight. Unlike the battle with Sonego, Zverev had this match relatively under control and didn't allow any major complications.
The main issue was his missed break points - he converted only five out of 20 chances.
"I didn't play my best, but I have to handle matches like this too. But above all, I want to thank the fans. Their energy was incredible. The few thousand who stayed made up for the 15,000 who left," he said gratefully.
Zverev vs Shelton 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2
Shelton couldn't deliver in the final. In a clash of two exceptional servers, he racked up 47 unforced errors (compared to Zverev's 31), which proved decisive. With Zverev leading two sets to none, the German lost focus, and a few sloppy volleys gave Shelton hope.
But he quickly made up for the slip with a break and confidently took the fourth set. The pressure of the moment may have weighed on the home favourite, while Zverev played with confidence and wasn't about to let his second Grand Slam slip away.
Key Numbers
2 - Not only did Alexander Zverev just claim his second Grand Slam title and solidify his position as world number two, but there's a paradox: in the year he won two major tournaments, he only beat two players ranked in the top 10.
He also became just the second German male tennis player in the Open Era to win more than one Grand Slam singles title in a single season. Before him, only Boris Becker managed this feat in 1989, when he won Wimbledon and the US Open. Zverev is also just the second German to win the New York Grand Slam.
96 - It was his serve that gave Zverev dominance on the court - he was just four aces short of a hundred. Compared to his French Open title (55), he hit 41 more! Zverev's first serve power is highlighted by an 80% success rate on points won.
But it's not fair to say he won the Grand Slam on his serve alone. The German also excelled in rallies, and his return stats are impressive. He collected the most points on both first (135) and second serve (202) returns of any player in the tournament.
23:11 - Alexander Zverev spent 23 hours and 11 minutes on court before conquering the 2026 US Open - making it the second-longest time in history since match time tracking began. Only Spain's Carlos Alcaraz spent more time on court during his victorious run, needing 23 hours and 39 minutes to win the 2022 US Open.
The American crowd was swept up in the American dream story and, after two years, finally saw a home finalist again. However, Zverev kept his distance from that narrative.
"I'm definitely not going to fulfil the American dream," he joked after reaching the final, when asked about the 23-year wait since the last American Grand Slam champion.
But in New York, he certainly convinced the critics who for years accused him of being unable to win a big tournament. This year, he won two - and on completely different surfaces. Winning Roland Garros on clay and the US Open on hard court in the same season is a feat achieved by only four players in the past.
Zverev joined the ranks of Rod Laver (1969), Mats Wilander (1988), Rafael Nadal (2010), and Novak Djokovic (2023).