Queens crowns Zverev and Rybakina.

Two finals in Queens delivered the same broad lesson: winning the previous set is no guarantee of winning the next one. Alexander Zverev and Elena Rybakina both lost a set late in their championship matches, then closed decisively. Each left the US Open with a second major title of 2026.

Zverev's serve supplies the answer

Zverev defeated Ben Shelton 6–3, 7–6 (2), 5–7, 6–2 on September 13. The USTA's match report identifies the serve as a central advantage: Zverev won 68 of 80 points behind his first delivery, an 85 percent success rate.

Shelton forced a fourth set, but Zverev broke immediately to begin it and lost only four points on serve in that set. Shelton extended the contest without taking control of it.

Shelton was playing his first Grand Slam final. Zverev added New York to his Roland Garros win. Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open remains the last major singles title won by an American man.

Rybakina ends Sabalenka's run

Rybakina's September 12 victory came against a player pursuing a third consecutive US Open title. She beat top seed Aryna Sabalenka 6–4, 5–7, 6–2; the tournament records it as Rybakina's third career major and second this season.

Sabalenka's second-set response made the deciding set necessary. Rybakina then took six of its eight games and finished the match with an ace, as documented in the USTA's final coverage. The result ended the defending champion's run without a drawn-out final-set finish.

For a replay, the men's fourth set and women's third set are the sections to revisit. Both show the winner's response after losing a set. The official final pages below include video coverage, giving readers a way to follow those turning points beyond the scoreline.