Zverev reveals the mistake Alcaraz made when facing Shelton
Alexander Zverev was crowned champion of the US Open after defeating Ben Shelton in the final, thus securing his second Grand Slam title within just three months. After Roland Garros, he added the New York major to his accolades, taking advantage of the opportunities that Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner left behind.
Unlike his final in Paris against Flavio Cobolli and his loss in the Wimbledon final against Sinner, in this match against Ben Shelton, Zverev showed a very dominant version. Whether it was the nerves of the American or Zverev’s experience in handling such situations, it felt like the Hamburg player had the match exactly where he wanted it.
But beyond the psychological aspect, it was also evident in the tennis that both displayed on the court. Zverev was all about order while Shelton seemed to have forgotten his game plan from the past two weeks in Flushing Meadows and had turned into Russian roulette.
Zverev revealed the tactical key that gave him victory against Shelton in the US Open final
In fact, after the victory and the trophy ceremony, Zverev started to make the rounds through different media, and in his interview with ESPN, he confessed the key to making Shelton's game in the final less flashy and aggressive than against Frances Tiafoe or Carlos Alcaraz.
“Against Ben, you don’t need to be aggressive all the time. The more rhythm you give to his backhand, the better he plays. I think that's the mistake Carlos and maybe Frances made…,” said Zverev, who claimed he was able to decipher Shelton's game in the final of the US Open better than anyone.
It remains to be seen if other players will apply the tactic to defeat Shelton from now on and also whether the American will introduce any changes to his game. In this US Open, neither Alcaraz nor Tiafoe managed; it was Zverev who found his Achilles' heel.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Zverev revela el error que cometió Alcaraz cuando se enfrentó a Shelton