The US Open men’s final between Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton averaged 3.2 million on ABC, the largest audience for that match since ESPN’s family of networks began televising the tournament in 2009, ESPN announced Tuesday.
The women’s final, won by Elena Rybakina over Aryna Sabalenka, averaged 2.7 million and was up 13 percent from last year.
The all-American men’s semifinal between Shelton and Frances Tiafoe averaged 3.1 million, the largest men’s semifinal audience in ESPN’s US Open coverage history.
The Shelton-Carlos Alcaraz quarterfinal, the latest-finishing match in US Open history, averaged 1.6 million across the full broadcast. Nearly 967,000 viewers were still watching at 3 a.m. Eastern, when the match was entering its final moments.
The quarterfinals overall averaged 1.3 million on ESPN.
ESPN‘s full US Open coverage averaged 1.2 million across the tournament, the largest audience since 2022.
What the numbers reflect
The viewership totals reflect the strongest US Open narrative the tournament has had in years. Three American men reached the quarterfinals, an all-American semifinal was held for the first time since 2005, and the American Shelton reached the final for the first time since Andy Roddick won in 2003. The late-night finish of the Shelton-Alcaraz match generated significant attention, and the near-million viewer count at that hour is a notable figure for a tennis match on a weeknight.
The women’s draw generated its own compelling storyline, with Rybakina defeating Sabalenka to claim the No. 1 WTA ranking, ending Sabalenka’s 99-week run at the top. The 13 percent increase in the women’s final audience over last year reflects both the competitive narrative and the growing profile of the women’s game.
The 3.2 million average is the highest since the network began televising the tournament, surpassing prior peaks during the era of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic at the top of the game.
