For different reasons, Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton will look back on their 2026 Grand Slam performances with a sense of achievement – no matter what happens in Sunday’s US Open men’s final.

German top seed Zverev has emerged from the shadow of Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz to win the Grand Slam title many felt he might never land.

American eighth seed Shelton, meanwhile, has demonstrated he does have what it takes to reach a major final – and beat the world’s very best players on the way.

“For me, this whole tournament has been uncharted territory,” said Shelton, who will be backed by a partisan 24,000-strong crowd in New York.

“I’m in positions I’ve never been in before. I’ve beaten guys I’ve never beaten before.”

Shelton must also beat Zverev for the first time, having lost all five of their previous meetings, if he is to become the first American man in 23 years to win a Grand Slam singles title.

At the start of the season, the odds on Zverev winning two Grand Slam titles would have been long. They are considerably shorter now.

The French Open champion is a slight favourite to beat Shelton as he looks to double his tally of major wins – not only for the year, but his career.

After three defeats in major finals, many thought the 29-year-old had missed his chance to win one of the sport’s biggest prizes given how Sinner and Alcaraz – who swept the Grand Slams in 2024 and 2025 and together earned the ‘Sincaraz’ tag – have dominated.

But injuries to the standout pair – Alcaraz missing the French Open and Wimbledon, with Sinner ruled out of the US Open – have opened the door for someone else to make a push.

Asked if he thought he could end 2026 with more major wins than them, Zverev said: “I believed in it. I believed that it’s possible. I think not many of you guys did.

“I think the question was always: Is Carlos and Jannik going to play all four Grand Slam finals between each other again?

“Of course, it was a very legit question with how the last two years went. I’m happy with how this year went so far, but I’ve got another big match on Sunday.”

Zverev is contesting his second US Open final, having squandered a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem in 2020 – a gutting defeat that cut deep.

In the seasons that followed, Zverev often played in the latter stages at Slams with the demeanour of a man who lacked belief that his time would ever come.

His mental misgivings were finally put to bed by beating Italy’s Flavio Cobolli in the final at Roland Garros and, after finishing runner-up to Sinner at Wimbledon, he has now reached a third successive Grand Slam final.

A below-par Zverev ground through the opening rounds at Flushing Meadows in a series of early-morning finishes, but he gradually improved over a fortnight where he has not yet faced a top-20 opponent.

Shelton will present a considerable step up in quality but, like Cobolli, is another opponent who may feel the weight of occasion too difficult to bear.

The significance of reaching a first US Open final has not escaped Shelton’s notice.

Shelton, 23, is bidding to become the first home US Open men’s singles champion since Andy Roddick in 2003 and could also become the first black American man to win a singles major since Arthur Ashe in 1975.

When a reporter said after his semi-final win over Frances Tiafoe that there was a “lot of history” on the line, a grinning Shelton replied: “Is there?”

Former world number four James Blake believes a Shelton win would be huge for African-American representation in the sport.

“Having another black American in the final leaves you wondering how many kids and adults are watching that maybe wouldn’t have been otherwise,” Blake told BBC Sport.

“They are going to be inspired to hear Ben’s story and see someone that looks like them out there playing and competing in a sport that has historically been dominated by the sense of a country club white sport.”

Known for a thunderous serve which has topped 140mph over the past fortnight, Shelton has complemented his attacking instincts by developing his defensive skills and improving his weaker backhand.

Shelton’s progress has led to four title victories this season – Dallas (indoor hard), Munich (clay), Stuttgart (grass) and Canadian Open (outdoor hard) – and a watershed win over Alcaraz at the US Open.

Shelton had never beaten a top-three opponent until overcoming the seven-time champion, who was playing in his first tournament for almost five months, in an epic quarter-final which ended at 3:34am.

“Ben has been trending in the right direction throughout this year. I think four titles on different surfaces is evidence of it,” Shelton’s father and coach Bryan said.

“He’s willing to suffer a little bit in the rallies, go deeper and really use his athleticism.”