Alcaraz Faces Zverev in Blockbuster 2026 US Open Final: Start Time, Live Stream, Odds & Key Storylines

The 2026 US Open finals weekend in Flushing Meadows is set, and storylines abound for both the men’s and women’s championships. Men’s final – Ben Shelton vs Alexander Zverev Riding the roar of Arthur Ashe Stadium, 23-year-old American Ben Shelton defeated compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to become the first Black American man to reach a US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Shelton’s explosive lefty serve (he’s topped 144 mph this fortnight) will be tested by No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev, who booked his third career major final after a straight-sets win in the semis. Key numbers: Zverev leads the pair’s head-to-head 2-0, yet Shelton has won 89 % of first-serve points this tournament. The winner ends the American men’s 23-year Slam drought or hands Germany its first US Open champion since Boris Becker (1989). Women’s final – Elena Rybakina vs Aryna Sabalenka No. 5 seed Elena Rybakina rallied past Coco Gauff 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, quieting a partisan night crowd to reach her first New York final. Awaiting her is defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, who hasn’t dropped a set all fortnight and can clinch back-to-back US Open crowns for the first time since Serena Williams (2012-14). Rybakina owns a 4-2 edge over the world No. 1, including January’s five-set Australian Open epic. Expect baseline power and serving duels: both average more than nine aces per match. Schedule & how to watch • Women’s final: Saturday, 12 September, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN+). • Men’s final: Sunday, 13 September, 4 p.m. ET (ESPN/ESPN+). Cord-cutters can stream via ESPN+, Sling Orange, FuboTV, or Hulu + Live TV; free trials are plentiful this weekend. What’s at stake • Prize money: Champions earn $3.4 million; runners-up pocket $1.7 million. • Rankings: Shelton will crack the Top 5 with a win; Zverev can climb to No. 2. Sabalenka guarantees she retains the top ranking; Rybakina would rise to No. 2 with the trophy. • History: An American men’s champion would end the nation’s home-court title drought dating to Andy Roddick (2003). Sabalenka seeks the first women’s repeat since the Serena era; Rybakina aims to become Kazakhstan’s first US Open winner. SEO takeaway Searches for “US Open finals 2026 start time,” “Shelton vs Zverev live stream,” and “Rybakina Sabalenka head-to-head” are surging. Bookmark this page for real-time score updates, post-match reaction, and trophy-lift highlights as tennis crowns its final Grand Slam champions of 2026.