How to watch the U.S. Open men’s final: Ben Shelton vs. Alexander Zverev channel, stream

The 2026 U.S. Open men’s final is already one for the history books.

Top-seeded Alexander Zverev will be playing in his third consecutive major final. A victory in Flushing Meadows would make him the first German man since tennis great Boris Becker in 1989 to win multiple majors in a single season.

No. 8 Ben Shelton steps foot onto Arthur Ashe Stadium as the first Black American since its namesake to reach the U.S. Open men’s final. With a win, Shelton would become the first American man to clinch a major since Andy Roddick’s 2003 U.S. Open triumph. He would also be the first Black American man to win a Grand Slam in 51 years. Ashe was the last to do so with his 1975 Wimbledon championship.

How to watch the U.S. Open 2026 men’s final

Venue: Billie Jean King National Tennis Center — Queens, N.Y.

Date: Sunday, Sept. 13 at 2 p.m. ET

TV: ABC

Streaming: Fubo (Stream Free Now)

ABC is free over the air and also available to stream with an ESPN Unlimited subscription. The list of global broadcasters can be found on the U.S. Open website.

In the first semifinal, Zverev wore down Karen Khachanov in a 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) clinic. Khachanov managed to push the reigning French Open champion to two tiebreaks but was unable to capitalize in rallies and truly punish Zverev.

The 29-year-old Zverev enters the final in much more straightforward fashion than how he started this tournament. The world No. 2 spent over nine hours on court in his first two matches. Since then, he has not dropped a single set. As a big server going up against another, his momentum could be crucial going into his second U.S. Open final.

The hyped all-American match followed in the other semifinal. After capitalizing on a poor serving game from Shelton, Frances Tiafoe went on to claim the first set. The next three were not nearly as competitive.

Long rallies and highlight-reel shots electrified the crowd, but many of these laborious points took place on the serve of the 28-year-old Tiafoe. As he exerted more energy, Tiafoe wasn’t able to endure. A double fault from “Big Foe” then ended his 2026 U.S. Open title aspirations.

A lot more than his country’s 23-year drought will be weighing on Shelton’s shoulders in the final: He has not recorded a single win against Zverev. And considering Zverev’s recent form, it’s a tall order for the American. Still, Shelton faced those same doubts before he defeated seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz just days ago.

Zverev has spent significantly more time on court, so Shelton must hold serve and commit to long points to tire out the 6-foot-6 favorite. With over 20,000 spectators in Arthur Ashe Stadium cheering him on, the 23-year-old Shelton will have the chance to leave New York with his own place in American sports history.

Shelton vs. Zverev odds

Courtesy of The Athletic’s sports betting senior editor Dan Santaromita:

Zverev is a solid betting favorite in the final against Shelton. Zverev is -155 to win on BetMGM, -152 on FanDuel and -150 on DraftKings. That translates to this match being roughly 60-40 in favor of Zverev. Interestingly, as far as set betting, a Zverev straight-set victory as the most likely outcome. That’s still roughly +300, but is shorter than any other result.

Click here to read article