Ben Shelton fell short of ending America's 23-year wait for a men's Grand Slam singles champion, losing the US Open final 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 to Alexander Zverev on Sunday in New York. Despite the defeat, the article argues Shelton's run to his first major final has given American men's tennis a genuine star to build around, with the tournament's draw having opened up unusually favourably after top contenders fell early.

Shelton, 23 and playing his first Grand Slam final, struggled with nerves and unforced errors, including double faults that cost him the first set and a collapsed tiebreak in the second, though he showed flashes of power and creativity, regularly serving above 140mph. He briefly rallied to take the third set after saving break points, but a costly service game early in the fourth allowed Zverev, who claimed his second major of the year following his French Open win, to pull away. The final represented a missed opportunity after world number one Jannik Sinner withdrew injured, Novak Djokovic lost in round one, and Shelton had already upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in an early-hours quarter-final.