The 2026 US Open men’s final has delivered a major television milestone. Alexander Zverev’s championship victory over American star Ben Shelton attracted an average audience of 3.2 million viewers on ABC, making it the most-watched US Open men’s final since ESPN’s family of networks began televising the tournament in 2009.
The numbers underline just how much attention surrounded the final in New York. Shelton was attempting to become the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win the US Open, while Zverev was chasing his second Grand Slam title of the season.
Zverev eventually handled the pressure and defeated Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 at Arthur Ashe Stadium to lift the trophy.
Why the US Open final attracted such a huge audience
The presence of Shelton clearly added another layer of interest for American viewers. The 23-year-old had reached his first Grand Slam final and became the first Black American man to reach the US Open men’s final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
His run through the tournament had already created several huge television moments. Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic quarterfinal that became the latest-finishing match in US Open history. The match ended around 3:33 a.m. ET, yet the broadcast still averaged 1.6 million viewers, with 967,000 people watching during the final minutes between 3:30 and 3:40 a.m. ET.
That kind of late-night audience showed that interest in Shelton’s run had gone well beyond traditional tennis hours.
The American connection continued into the semifinals. Shelton faced fellow American Frances Tiafoe, and that match averaged 3.1 million viewers on ESPN, making it the largest men’s semifinal audience recorded by ESPN for the US Open.
Women’s final also records strong numbers
The women’s championship match between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka also produced impressive television figures.
Rybakina defeated Sabalenka to win her first US Open title, while the final averaged 2.7 million viewers, according to ESPN. That figure was 13% higher than last year’s women’s final.
The strong numbers from both finals demonstrate the wider interest generated by the tournament’s closing stages. The men’s final alone reached an average audience of 3.2 million, while the women’s final came close to the three-million mark.
US Open coverage reaches another milestone
It wasn’t just the championship matches that performed strongly.
ESPN’s overall US Open coverage averaged 1.2 million viewers, making the 2026 tournament the network’s most-watched US Open since 2022. The quarterfinal stage averaged 1.3 million viewers on ESPN.
The numbers also highlight how several high-profile storylines helped maintain interest throughout the tournament.
Zverev’s title was particularly significant because he had previously lost the 2020 US Open final after holding a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem. Six years later, he finally completed his New York mission by defeating Shelton. The German had already won the French Open earlier in 2026, giving him two Grand Slam titles this season.
For Shelton, meanwhile, the defeat ended a historic run but also announced his arrival on the biggest stage. His quarterfinal win over Alcaraz and semifinal victory against Tiafoe helped turn him into one of the central stories of this year’s tournament.
A new benchmark for the US Open
The 3.2 million average audience for the men’s final represents a new benchmark for an ESPN-era US Open men’s championship match. Reports also indicate that the figure was around 9% higher than last year’s men’s final, which featured Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz and averaged approximately 3 million viewers.
For American tennis, Shelton’s breakthrough was another important part of the story. Although he couldn’t end the country’s men’s Grand Slam drought, his run generated enormous attention and helped create one of the biggest US Open television audiences in recent years.
With Zverev now celebrating a second Grand Slam title in 2026 and Shelton having reached his first major final, both players leave New York with their profiles significantly raised.
The record audience also shows that big personalities, compelling storylines and high-stakes tennis can still bring millions of viewers to the screen.
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