Zverev opens up: "I will enjoy this title much more than the one at Roland Garros"

Alexander Zverev is the name of the moment. The German has left his mark in the history of tennis by becoming the great dominator of the Grand Slams in 2026, claiming his second Grand Slam after lifting the title at the US Open 2026. He achieved this with a masterclass in tactics, dismantling the game of an inspired Ben Shelton and showing conviction and firmness in the decisive moments that clearly distance him from his image on big stages over the last decade.

Precisely the mental aspect is one of the areas that have changed the most for the German, who describes what happened in Paris as an absolute "relief." That enormous weight he shed from his shoulders has allowed him to face these matches with a new perspective, competing toe-to-toe with Sinner in the Wimbledon final and leveraging his authority to make Shelton feel the weight of the occasion. He discussed all of this and more on the microphones of Sky Sports, in a highly recommended conversation where he admits how important it was for him to shed the chains in Paris.

Here's why Zverev won the US Open 2026: he is different mentally

Feelings after winning the title in New York

"As I've said before: maybe God has said, look, there has been so much suffering for my family at the Grand Slam level, that maybe 2026 is the year for us to just enjoy, all of us. Everything is going perfectly. I am incredibly happy. If you had told me three months ago that I was going to win a Grand Slam in my career, I would have signed that paper immediately, without asking any questions. Being here now with two Grand Slams in three months is incredible for me, it's fantastic."

Why he was able to outmaneuver Shelton tactically: the keys

"The key is to not give him any rhythm in his shots from the baseline: when you give him rhythm, he plays much better from the back. He likes people to play fast against him, especially to his backhand side. I tried to play with the minimum rhythm possible, but with a lot of depth and height. I don't know if that was the reason for today's victory, but I feel it worked perfectly. It doesn't matter; the important thing is that I'm here with this trophy."

On how to deal with Shelton's serve

"We all know that he has a serve that is a rocket, but he also loves to use variety, a lot of spin, a lot of cuts. Luckily, I think I am tall enough to reach those serves. I place myself far enough to contain the power of those rockets, but I can also reach the cuts and kicks due to my wingspan, which helps me a lot. It's a great advantage for me, without a doubt. That said, I broke his serve three times, not that I was breaking it every other time. He still has, perhaps, the best serve in the world, so you know it will always be tough to face him."

How much pressure has been lifted from his shoulders after winning Roland Garros?

"A lot. I will be able to enjoy this title much more than in Paris because Paris was full of stress. The entire two weeks were a huge ball of nerves, and winning that Grand Slam was simply a huge relief. The difference is that when I got to Wimbledon, I played with much more freedom, with much more joy, and I think the same happened here. I played freely, with a lot of happiness. I had fun being there, while in Paris it wasn't fun; it was just constant stress. When you win a Grand Slam, definitely something is released, there’s a huge relief. It has helped me here, without a doubt."

HE DIDN'T REALIZE HE'D WON 🏆

Alexander Zverev exorcises his 2020 demons and defeats Shelton 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 to win his first US Open title! pic.twitter.com/f0Cnl2xvgI

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026

The reason he didn't celebrate the title when he won it: he thought the score was different!

"I thought the score was 5-1. I knew I had broken him twice, but I thought he had only held serve once, so it was 5-1, all good. I was going to have a relaxed service game, and I knew I would be more nervous in the next one. Fortunately, I never had that opportunity (smiles). It's funny: tennis coaches always tell you to focus on each point, to forget the score. At that moment, I forgot the score, and it seems that helped me."

Did he remember after winning the title what happened in the 2020 final, that tough loss against Thiem?

"That has completely left my mind. No: I had flashbacks in the last six years when I played Grand Slam finals, because I was two sets to zero up, had a break up, served for the match, had so many opportunities. That match was in my racket, so I had many flashbacks until I won Roland Garros. There, everything disappeared. Everything disappeared, and now you have fun on these big courts."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev se sincera: "Voy a disfrutar de este título mucho más que el de Roland Garros"