Zverev doubles up, Rybakina takes No. 1 as the US Open closes
Elena Rybakina halted Aryna Sabalenka's three-peat bid to win her first US Open and become WTA World No. 1, while Alexander Zverev captured his second major of 2026 over Ben Shelton as the Grand Slam season concluded in New York.
The final week of the 2026 US Open reshaped the professional tennis hierarchy as Arthur Ashe Stadium witnessed two new champions hoist trophies in Flushing Meadows. Elena Rybakina ended Aryna Sabalenka's quest for three consecutive New York crowns to capture her third career Grand Slam title and claim the WTA World No. 1 ranking, while Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton in four sets to capture his second major championship of the 2026 season. This weekly digest covers the tournament's decisive concluding matches, historical milestones, ranking consequences, and the immediate tour calendar across the seven-day window from September 7 to September 14, 2026, closing at the 10:00 UTC Monday cutoff.
Results at a glance
The following table summarizes the decisive late-stage fixtures played at the 2026 US Open during this weekly window:
| Event & Round | Winner | Opponent | Score | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's Final | Alexander Zverev | Ben Shelton | 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 1 | 3h 33m |
| Women's Final | Elena Rybakina | Aryna Sabalenka | 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 2 | 2h 21m |
| Men's Semifinal | Alexander Zverev | Karen Khachanov | 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) 3 | 3h 08m |
| Men's Semifinal | Ben Shelton | Frances Tiafoe | 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 4 | 3h 17m |
| Women's Semifinal | Elena Rybakina | Coco Gauff | 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 5 | 2h 18m |
| Women's Semifinal | Aryna Sabalenka | Jessica Pegula | 7-5, 6-2 6 | 1h 34m |
| Men's Quarterfinal | Ben Shelton | Carlos Alcaraz | 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) 7 | 4h 28m |
| Men's Quarterfinal | Frances Tiafoe | Alex Michelsen | 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6) 8 | 4h 38m |
| Women's Quarterfinal | Elena Rybakina | Zheng Qinwen | 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 9 | 2h 14m |
| Women's Quarterfinal | Aryna Sabalenka | Linda Noskova | 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) 10 | 2h 45m |
Men's championship: Zverev consolidates his 2026 breakthrough
Alexander Zverev completed a commanding two-week campaign on Sunday afternoon by subduing Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in 3 hours and 33 minutes 1. The German absorbed 18 aces from the big-serving American, broke Shelton's serve five times, and committed only 22 unforced errors across four sets. After surrendering the third set when Shelton broke late with heavy forehand winners, Zverev reasserted control immediately in the fourth, racing to a 4-0 lead and serving out the championship with an unreturned first serve.
The victory delivered Zverev his second Grand Slam singles trophy of 2026, pairing his Roland Garros triumph in June with his maiden hard-court major in New York. With this achievement, Zverev became the fourth man in the Open Era to win his first two career Grand Slam titles within the same calendar year, joining Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (1977), and Sergi Bruguera (1993) 1.
Shelton's path to his first Grand Slam final electrified the New York crowds throughout the second week. In the quarterfinals, Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a 4-hour, 28-minute battle that concluded at 3:33 a.m. local time, setting the record for the latest match finish in US Open history 7. Shelton followed that performance on Friday by defeating compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in 3 hours and 17 minutes, firing 20 aces and 47 winners in Arthur Ashe Stadium 4. Tiafoe had reached that semifinal after staging his own remarkable comeback in the quarterfinals, overcoming a two-set deficit and a 0-3 hole in the deciding fifth set to defeat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6) over 4 hours and 38 minutes 8.
In the other semifinal, Zverev held off Karen Khachanov in straight sets, prevailing 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in 3 hours and 8 minutes by winning critical pressure points in two consecutive tiebreaks 3.
Women's championship: Rybakina halts Sabalenka and claims the summit
Elena Rybakina captured her first US Open crown on Saturday evening by defeating Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 in 2 hours and 21 minutes 2. The victory secured Rybakina's third career major title, following her wins at Wimbledon in 2022 and the Australian Open in January 2026, and denied Sabalenka the opportunity to become the first woman since Serena Williams (2012–2014) to win three consecutive US Open singles titles.
Rybakina built her victory on baseline depth and composure. After splitting the first two sets, Rybakina broke Sabalenka twice in the deciding set, winning 16 of 20 first-serve points in that frame and closing out the championship on her second match point with a crosscourt forehand winner 2.
Both finalists navigated demanding three-set tests to reach Saturday's final. In the quarterfinals, Rybakina recovered from a set down to defeat Zheng Qinwen 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, a victory that mathematically ensured her ascent to World No. 1 regardless of subsequent results 911. Rybakina repeated that fighting pattern in the semifinals, rallying past 2023 champion Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 over 2 hours and 18 minutes 5.
Sabalenka reached the title match through sheer persistence. In her quarterfinal, Sabalenka trailed Linda Noskova 4-2 in the final set before surviving a tense deciding tiebreak, winning 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(7) after 2 hours and 45 minutes 10. In the semifinals, Sabalenka defeated 2024 finalist Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in 1 hour and 34 minutes, converting four of six break opportunities to reach her third straight New York final 6.
Rankings watch and the race to Turin
The conclusion of the season's final Grand Slam prompted significant shifts at the apex of both tours:
Elena Rybakina officially becomes the 30th player to hold the WTA World No. 1 singles ranking with the publication of the Monday, September 14 PIF WTA Rankings, making her the first player representing Kazakhstan to reach the top position 11. Rybakina's ascension ends Sabalenka's extended tenure at No. 1 and positions Rybakina atop the season-long qualification standings for the WTA Finals. While specific top-mover positions are verified by official announcements, a complete top-30 WTA ranking table detailing exact weekly point deltas was not exposed on accessible official sites at the publication cutoff.
On the men's tour, Ben Shelton rises to a new career-high of World No. 4 in the Monday PIF ATP Rankings following his run to the final 12. The American's breakthrough fortnight represents his highest career standing.
In the season-long PIF ATP Live Race to Turin, which tracks calendar-year points to determine the eight qualifiers for the Nitto ATP Finals, Zverev's US Open championship propelled him ahead of Jannik Sinner into first place 13:
- Alexander Zverev — 8,650 points (officially qualified)
- Jannik Sinner — 7,950 points (officially qualified)
- Ben Shelton — 4,430 points
- Carlos Alcaraz — 4,050 points
- Flavio Cobolli — 3,530 points
- Frances Tiafoe — 3,330 points
- Arthur Fils — 3,150 points
- Daniil Medvedev — 2,780 points
- Rafael Jodar — 2,509 points
- Taylor Fritz — 2,480 points
Zverev leads Sinner by 700 points, with both men already holding confirmed qualification spots for Turin 13.
Upcoming tour calendar: September 14–20, 2026
With the Grand Slam season concluded, the professional circuits transition immediately into their autumn swings:
On the WTA Tour, main-draw action resumes in the Americas across two concurrent events:
- Guadalajara Open presentado por Santander (Guadalajara, Mexico): A WTA 500 hard-court tournament with main-draw play running from September 13 to September 19 1415.
- SP Open (Sao Paulo, Brazil): A WTA 250 tournament scheduled from September 14 to September 20, bringing tour-level tennis back to Brazil 1416.
The ATP Tour main circuit pauses for one week following the conclusion of the US Open before the Asian swing and Laver Cup get underway. Play continues at the ATP Challenger level, led by the Tiburon Challenger in Tiburon, California, held on outdoor hard courts from September 14 to September 20, 2026 17.
References
- 1Zverev Tops Shelton For US Open Crown
atptour.com
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- 12Shelton Reflects On US Open Run
atptour.com
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- 14US Open 2026 Order of Play
wtatennis.com
- 15
- 16SP Open 2026 Overview
wtatennis.com
- 17Tiburon Challenger 2026 Overview
atptour.com
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