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Ben Shelton couldn’t snap the US Open curse for the Americans. But his opportunity was enough to attract record viewership.
The US Open men’s final Sunday between Shelton and Alexander Zverev averaged 3.2 million viewers on ABC, the most-watched US Open men’s final since ESPN started airing the tournament in 2009, the network announced Tuesday. The number is up 9% compared to last year’s final between Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, which drew 3 million viewers.
Zverev defeated Shelton in four sets, denying him a shot at becoming the first American to win a Grand Slam in 23 years. The last time an American made the final was in 2024, when Taylor Fritz lost to Sinner in straight sets, a match that drew 1.8 million viewers.
The US Open men’s final is generally played on the same Sunday as the NFL’s Week 1 slate, and this year was no exception.
The men’s semifinal match between Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, another American, drew 3.1 million viewers Friday on ESPN, the most-watched men’s semifinal ever.
The women’s final Saturday between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka drew 2.7 million viewers on ESPN, up 13% from last year, when Sabalenka defeated American star Amanda Anisimova in straight sets.
Rybakina defeated Sabalenka in three sets, ending her streak of US Open titles at two. Only two women, Chris Evert and Serena Williams, have won three straight US Open titles.
ESPN’s full US Open coverage drew 1.2 million viewers over two weeks, which the network said is its most-watched US Open since 2022—when Carlos Alcaraz won his first Grand Slam title, and the last time Serena Williams played singles before her return this year.
A notable number in ESPN’s coverage came Tuesday, the first day of the men’s and women’s quarterfinals.
The night match between Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz—which ran for nearly five hours and ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish for a US Open match—drew 1.3 million viewers, below the average viewership of last year’s full quarterfinal coverage (1.4 million), despite being one of the tournament’s most anticipated matches.
Viewership for the Shelton–Alcaraz match peaked at 1.8 million during the 11 to 11:15 p.m. ET window, which was around the start of the match, despite its thrilling five-set finish. It was originally scheduled to begin around 9 p.m. ET but was delayed because three other quarterfinals matches at Arthur Ashe went the distance.
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