Alexander Zverev won the US Open men’s title on Sunday by defeating Ben Shelton, completing a two-Grand-Slam season that also included the French Open and making Zverev the most consistent performer on the men’s side in 2026. Elena Rybakina won the women’s title by defeating Aryna Sabalenka, climbing to No. 1 in the WTA rankings and ending Sabalenka’s 99-week run at the top.
The results closed a tournament that also marked an era-defining moment in men’s tennis.
The Big Three are gone from the top 10
When the rankings updated Monday, Novak Djokovic dropped from No. 5 to No. 12, making it the first time since October 2002 that none of the Big Three appear in the top 10. The last time no member of the group appeared in the first 10 positions, George W. Bush was president, the Euro had just gone into circulation, Tom Brady was coming off his first Super Bowl title and Ronaldo had just led Brazil to the World Cup.
Federer retired in 2022 at 41. Nadal retired in 2024 at 38. Djokovic, 39, was beaten in the first round of the US Open by Mariano Navone, his earliest Grand Slam exit in two decades and the first time he had ever lost his opener at Flushing Meadows.
He said after the loss that he is proud of all the achievements of the past, but that now is now.
He holds 24 Grand Slam titles, two more than Nadal’s 22 and four more than Federer’s 20. In the current rankings, Jannik Sinner, Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz hold the top three spots. Shelton jumped five places to No. 4 after the final.
The previous No. 1 in October 2002 was Lleyton Hewitt. His son Cruz Hewitt, 17, is now a rising professional.
Zverev and the 2026 season
Zverev won the French Open and US Open, reached the Wimbledon final and the Australian Open semifinals, making him the season’s most consistent performer. Sinner and Alcaraz, who met in three of the four major finals in 2025, did not meet in any in 2026. Alcaraz missed the French Open and Wimbledon due to a right wrist injury. Sinner withdrew from the US Open with a right knee injury.
Despite his two major titles this year, Zverev said after the final that if everyone is healthy, Sinner is still ahead.
Rybakina’s rise and Sabalenka’s response
Rybakina won two of the four major titles this year, the Australian Open and the US Open. She beat Sabalenka in the final Saturday, hitting 12 aces in the match.
Sabalenka said Rybakina’s serve is amazing and that the way she is able to step in and overpower on the court, especially on a fast US Open surface, gives her a huge advantage.
The next generation and the staying power question
With Sinner and Alcaraz both missing majors due to injury and Alcaraz having said he plans to take more scheduled breaks within the season, whether the current generation will sustain the dominance the Big Three maintained for more than two decades is an open question.
Federer, inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame last month, reflected on his generation’s durability. He said he was proud that he was able to play from January to November throughout his career, showing up everywhere and keeping all tournaments a priority rather than focusing only on Grand Slams.
