Ben Shelton fell to Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s US Open final. But American interest sent ratings to a new high on ESPN/ABC.
What We Know: Shelton and Zverev’s four-set final averaged 3.2 million viewers on ABC. That’s the most-watched US Open men’s final since ESPN started broadcasting the tournament in 2009. Viewership climbed 9% over last year’s Sinner-Alcaraz final, which drew 3 million. Saturday’s women’s final between Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka drew 2.7 million viewers, up 13% from last year.
What’s At Stake: Despite the tournament placing the men’s final on the first Sunday of the NFL season, the viewership still climbed to record levels. However, you must suspect if the final was held on a non-NFL Sunday, viewership would have likely been much higher with a US born finalist playing.
What Remains Unclear: It’s unclear how much NFL Week 1 competition affected total audience share. Still, ESPN’s full two-week coverage averaged 1.2 million viewers, its best mark since 2022. The marathon Shelton-Alcaraz quarterfinal, which ended at 3:33 a.m., drew 1.3 million viewers.
What It Means: Zverev’s win kept the American Grand Slam drought alive at 23 years. But Shelton’s run, paired with Frances Tiafoe’s semifinal appearance, proved American star power still sells. Their semifinal drew 3.1 million viewers, a men’s semifinal record. Together, the results signal strong momentum heading into next year’s tournament. It remains to be seen how scheduling will be altered into next year based on this year’s results.
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