Overview
- Top seed Alexander Zverev beat Karen Khachanov in straight sets on Friday to reach his third consecutive Grand Slam final and his second U.S. Open title match.
- Ben Shelton recovered from a set down to defeat Frances Tiafoe on Friday and advanced to his first major final after an earlier five‑set quarterfinal win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz that finished in the early hours.
- The U.S. Open men's final is scheduled for Sunday, September 13 at 2 p.m. New York time at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
- Zverev leads their head‑to‑head 5‑0 and arrives in strong form as the 2026 French Open champion, while Shelton brings a booming serve and momentum but will face the challenge of overturning that record.
- Shelton’s run carries wider significance because he is the first Black American man to reach the U.S. Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and the first Black American in any Grand Slam final since 1996, and a win would end a U.S. men’s major drought that began in 2003.