The German collected his second Grand Slam of 2026 after the French Open and ended a wait that stretched back to his loss in the 2020 New York final. American men remain without a major title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Zverev, the No. 1 seed at a Grand Slam for the first time, took the first two sets. Shelton won the third 7-5 in front of a home crowd, then Zverev closed out the fourth 6-2.
Shelton was appearing in his first major final and was chasing the first US Open title by a Black American man since Arthur Ashe in 1968.
Zverev finished on serve but initially did not realise the match was over, stepping back as if to return before raising his arms.
“We went 30 years without winning a Grand Slam title, and then won two in the span of three months,” Zverev said. “I think God has seen how hard we have worked and suffered, and the pain we went through. 2026 was the outcome for everything that we went through before.”
He thanked his mother for supporting him after a childhood diabetes diagnosis. He also said Shelton “will win this tournament one day.”
Shelton said: “To do this with my family by my side. These four guys have dedicated their lives to my career. It is an unmatched level of commitment.”
Elena Rybakina had won the women’s title a day earlier against Aryna Sabalenka. Christian Harrison and Neal Skupski took the men’s doubles crown.