To say Ben Shelton has his back to the wall facing Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s US Open final would be an understatement.
Besides having a career 0-5 record against the German, Shelton is up against an opponent who thrives against southpaws. Remarkably, Zverev is 13-0 against left-handers at Grand Slams in the last four years, with his last loss coming against Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in 2022 when he was forced to retire due to a right ankle injury. Overall, Zverev is an astonishing 44-1 in his last 45 matches against lefties, with his only loss coming against Learner Tien at Acapulco in Feb. 2025.
It’s surprising Zverev (-150) is only a slight favorite over Shelton (+125); oddsmakers are likely factoring in the partisan crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Ben Shelton Faces Daunting Task
Shelton, though, is not lacking in confidence. Similarly, the American World No. 1 entered the quarterfinal against Carlos Alcaraz facing a 0-3 career deficit and his back against the wall, only to respond with an incredible five-set win.
He plans to overcome the odds again.
“I’m ready to go. It’s going to be a war on Sunday,” Shelton said ahead of his first career major final.
“I’m going to leave it all on the court. Win or lose, obviously, I’m going to be proud of myself and what I’ve done, but this is the dream. This is what I’m playing for now,”
“It’s right in front of me, and I’m definitely not going to take my foot off the gas. My team and I think about things long-term. We’re not looking for instant gratification.
“I know I still have so much further to go as a tennis player and to become the best version of myself, but it is right there, one more match, and, like I said, I’ll leave everything on the court.”
Ben Shelton Chases US Open History
Beyond facing a formidable opponent in Alexander Zverev, Shelton has another factor working against him: his girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman, will miss the biggest match of his career due to an NWSL scheduling conflict.
Shelton remains uber-confident.
After his win against Frances Tiafoe in the semifinal, he urged the Athur Ashe crowd to “bring it” on Sunday and power him to his first career Grand Slam.
“The crowd will certainly be loud, backing me,” he said in the lead up to the final.
“New York is such a cool sports city. There’s such a great sports culture here, and I think there’s a lot of American pride, so I’ll definitely be looking to use that and play the best match that I can,” he said.
Shelton is attempting to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in 2003. The men’s US Open final starts at 2 p.m. local time on Sunday. In 2024, Taylor Fritz sought to end a 20-year title drought for American men, but lost to Jannik Sinner in the Flushing Meadows final.
Ben Shelton Hit With More Bad News Before US Open Final vs Alexander Zverev