India, Sept. 14 -- For years, Alexander Zverev carried the uncomfortable tag of being the best player in men's tennis without a Grand Slam title to back it up. His career was littered with painful near-misses, none more brutal than the 2020 US Open final, where he surrendered a two-set lead to Dominic Thiem and watched his first major title slip away. Those heartbreaks followed him throughout until 2026 changed everything. Zverev finally broke the Grand Slam barrier in June by winning Roland Garros, and he has now followed that emotional triumph with another statement win in New York, beating home favourite Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2 in a gruelling three-hour, 33-minute US Open final to lift the trophy at Flushing Meadows.

And per...