Ben Shelton was broken in his very first service game against Alexander Zverev in the US Open men’s final on Sunday. The American proceeded to lose the first set handily, 3-6, while committing 11 unforced errors.
After the first set, Shelton’s father and coach, Bryan Shelton, made some controversial remarks in a courtside interview, claiming that Zverev’s tendency to “bounce the ball” a lot before his serve distracted his son’s focus and return game.
“He just needs to get used to the rhythm of returning,” Bryan Shelton told ESPN of what his son needs to do better in the second set.
“Sasha bounces the ball so many times — it kinda puts you off,” he added.
“With a set of that now, Ben will relax and find his rhythm and play with more shape on his backhand side, where he has made some errors.”
Bryan Shelton, Ben’s coach and father, weighs in on what Ben can do better in the US Open Final ✍️
“Just relax a little more and get forward when he gets an opportunity,” he urged his son.
As of this writing, Shelton and Zverev are tied at four games apiece in the second set, with neither player winning a break of serve yet. Shelton, however, came close to breaking Zverev in the German’s fourth service game.
A fan on X felt that Shelton’s father gave “the saltiest response of all time” by blaming Zverev for his son getting distracted.
Might be the saltiest response of all time while your son is getting belt to ass in the biggest match of his life.
US Open Final: Ben Shelton Faces Uphill Task
If the first set is any indicator, Shelton faces an uphill task to beat Zverev and claim his first major title. A big server, he could get only 61% of his first serves in (17/28) with a subpar win rate of 65% (11/17). Zverev connected on 70% of his first serves and won 94% of those points, putting a lot of pressure on Shelton’s baseline stance.
Even more concerningly, Shelton won only 30% of his receiving points (7/23).
Shelton entered the match as a slight underdog (+125) despite history not favoring him against Zverev. The southpaw has a career 0-5 record against Zverev, who has won his last 13 matches against left-handers at Grand Slam events. Remarkably, Zverev has a 44-1 record in his last 45 matches against lefties, with his only loss coming against Learner Tien at Acapulco in Feb. 2025. As such, the odds don’t favor Shelton.
The 23-year-old Shelton is trying to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Ben Shelton’s Father Faces Backlash for Alexander Zverev Comments During US Open Final