Ben Shelton hadn’t celebrated his first birthday when Andy Roddick won the US Open men’s singles title on 2003. Later tonight, Shelton will aim to become the first American male player since Roddick to win a major title. The burden to lift more than two decades of despair rests on his young shoulders. And on the evidence of the six matches the 23-year-old has played over the fortnight in New York, he seems ready.
Shelton is a rumbustious, giant man, earmarked for glory from the moment he arrived on the circuit. Coached by his father, he’s reached quarterfinals and semifinals at majors earlier and earned a top-10 spot in the rankings.
Now, he’s taken the defining leap of his career in front of raucous home crowds, with a nerve-wracking quarterfinal win over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and a clinical four-set takedown of fellow American Francis Taifoe in the semifinal. His presence in the final itself is historic, with Shelton becoming the first black man since Arthur Ashe in 1972 to reach the summit clash.
“I am going to need you guys on Sunday,” Shelton urged the crowd after his semifinal. “I’m going for it here. I’m going to leave it all on the court. I hope you guys come back me. Let’s do this for the USA.”
While the energy of a hyper-partisan arena will undoubtedly drive Shelton, the man standing across the net has all the tools to puncture his momentum.
Top seed Alexander Zverev is in the middle of the most purple of purple patches this year, having won his first major at the French Open and reached his first Wimbledon final.
At 29, the German is finally delivering on his immense potential. After a bumpy start, where he was extended to five sets in his first two rounds, Zverev has decimated opponents with four consecutive straight sets wins. He won’t be overawed by the occasion or the fervour of the crowd in his second US Open final.
“For me, a loud and energetic crowd is always great, as long as they’re fair, as long as they don’t interrupt in the middle of points,” he said. “Other than that, I always enjoy these kinds of atmospheres.” Zverev starts the final well aware that although he leads Shelton 5-0 in their career head-to-head, the pair have never clashed in a major and of course, never for a title as prestigious as the US Open.
Of particular concern to the German will be if Shelton can turn his serve into scoreboard pressure. His left-handed bomber, especially when sliced wide in the ad court, can pull Zverev beyond the doubles alley and open space for the first forehand. The American will know though that aces alone won’t be enough, he will have to vary location, protect his second serve and prevent Zverev from settling into his signature deep returns.
Zverev will be at his most formidable if he can settle into his dependable patterns. His backhand is stable cross-court and can absorb Shelton’s pace before redirecting down the line. Shelton will be keen to avoid long backhand exchanges, deploy his forehand early and finish selectively at the net. A fascinating tactical battle is on the cards, where if Shelton can be aggressive without losing patience, he can deny Zverev the errors he wants.
Zverev too will rely on a very high first-serve percentage because if that dips, Shelton can attack the second serve from inside the baseline. Zverev is also likely to test Shelton’s movement with depth through the middle before changing direction, denying the American easy angles. However, beyond the skills of these two supreme athletes, the night will demand emotional balance from both. Shelton has the chance to claim a piece of history while Zverev can underline his authority as one of the sport’s leading lights. Underneath the lights at the iconic Arthur Ashe stadium, only one will turn his fierce ambition into an immortal moment.
