Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton: Prediction and Bets - September 13, 2026
On September 13, the US Open men’s singles final will take place, with Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton competing for the title. Here’s my prediction for the upcoming match.
Alexander Zverev
The German tennis player was the top seed at this Grand Slam, as Sinner did not play, and other stars such as Djokovic and Alcaraz did not make it to the final. Zverev had a breakthrough season, winning his first Grand Slam title—Roland Garros—and breaking a sort of curse.
This will be the athlete’s third Major final appearance this year; he had already won a title and lost the decisive match at Wimbledon. He had a tough time getting into the tournament here, defeating Italy’s Sonego and France’s Ali only in five sets. After that, Zverev didn’t drop a single set, defeating Chile’s Tabilo, Italy’s Darderi, and the Netherlands’ Van de Zandschull. His semifinal match against Russia’s Khachanov was no easy task—6-3, 7-6, 7-6. Regardless of the outcome of the upcoming final, the player will remain the world’s No. 2.
Ben Shelton
The American has plenty to boast about this season, having won titles in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart, and Montreal. For Shelton, this will be his first Grand Slam final—and his first at a home major, no less.
His opponents were no pushovers; he managed to get past the Dutchman Griekspoor, the Pole Hurkacz, and the Canadian Shapovalov in four sets. Only against the Greek Tsitsipas did it take just three sets to secure the victory.
The toughest match was against the formidable Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz—6–7, 6–1, 6–3, 1–6, 7–6—with the outcome decided only in a super tiebreak in the decisive set.
In the semifinals, he defeated his compatriot Francis Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5. Shelton is currently ranked ninth, but starting next week he will become the world’s No. 4 player, regardless of the outcome of his upcoming match.
Head-to-Head Record
The German tennis player dominates their head-to-head record—5–0—with Shelton having won only two sets in five matches. The two have not yet faced each other at a Grand Slam tournament.
Match Prediction
Motivation won’t be an issue for either player, as a Grand Slam title is on the line, and the home crowd will be cheering for Shelton, but Zverev is the favorite. The German has a psychological edge over his opponent, as well as experience playing in such high-stakes matches. I don’t think this match will be decided in three sets, so I’m betting on the total to be over 39.5 games at odds of 1.62.
