Alexander Zverev defeated Ben Shelton in the 2026 US Open men’s singles final, 6-3, 7-6(2), 5-7, 6-2, to capture his second Grand Slam title of the year and deny Shelton a historic breakthrough. This marks Zverev’s first US Open crown and caps off a dominant season where he also won Roland Garros.

🎾 Men’s Final Recap

• Zverev’s consistency and big-match experience proved decisive against Shelton, who was contesting his first major final.
• The German took the opening set with early breaks, then held firm in a flawless second-set tiebreak.
• Shelton fought back to steal the third set, breaking Zverev late, but the No. 1 seed responded immediately in the fourth, closing the match with authority.
• Zverev became the fourth German player in the Open Era to win multiple majors, joining Steffi Graf, Boris Becker, and Angelique Kerber.

🎾 Women’s Final Recap

• Elena Rybakina defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win her first US Open title and rise to World No. 1.
• Her victory ended Sabalenka’s bid for a third consecutive US Open crown.
• Twelve fantasy league teams had picked Rybakina, earning a massive boost in points.

📊 Tournament Highlights

• American surge: Shelton, Tiafoe, Pegula, and Gauff all reached the latter stages, thrilling home fans.
• Breakthrough stars: Alexander Blockx and Mirra Andreeva made deep runs, announcing themselves on the big stage.
• Epic battles: Tiafoe’s comeback from two sets down, Sabalenka’s survival against Noskova, and Shelton’s upset of Alcaraz were among the standout matches.
• Fantasy drama: The leaderboard swung wildly with every upset. Dropshots and Hit and Run were separated by just a single point heading into the men’s final, making this one of the tightest finishes in league history.

📅 Season Wrap-Up

2026 will be remembered as the year of Alexander Zverev’s dominance, Elena Rybakina’s rise to No. 1, and the resurgence of American tennis with Shelton’s breakthrough. For the fantasy league, it was a season of twists, rivalries, and nail-biting finishes — from the race for the crown to the battle for the wooden spoon.

Thank you all for participating and making the league vibrant and competitive. Whether you were chasing glory, celebrating your picks, or fighting to avoid last place, you were part of the story.

That’s a wrap for 2026 — see you next year for more tennis, more drama, and more fantasy fun!

🏆 Champions

• Dropshots (Roger Lauf) – 280 points Crowned the overall winner after a consistent run and strong picks in the finals. They will be taking home the R1000 grand prize to end the season off.
• Hit and Run (Don Hugo) – 273 points Just seven points behind, finishing runner-up in a nail-biting race. A strong end to the year and so nearly an overall win. However Don will have to settle for the R500 2nd place prize.
• Hot Shots (Alastair Grey) – 253 points Secured third place with steady scoring throughout the tournament. He will be taking home R300 for his efforts

🎖 Top Five

• Wobbles (Salome Coetzee) – 245 points. A wonderful way to end the year for our stalwart of a supporter Salome. She will be taking home R200.
• SINsational (Nikki Godfrey aka Mom) – 244 points
• Arthur Ash’s Ace Mechanics (Charlotte Grey) – 244 points
  • Lastly a tie for 5th place means that Charlotte and Nikki willl each take home their entry fees (R50).

These three were separated by a single point, showing how close the battle for the top tier was.

⚡ Top Ten

• Slamalenka (Alastair Grey) – 240 points
• Canniballs (Romain Soula) – 238 points
• Christopher Columbus (Max & Jared) – 237 points
• Serving looks (Anuschka Jansen van Nieuwenhuizen) – 237 points

The top ten was stacked with teams that stayed in contention right until the end.

🎲 Spot Prizes

• Tournament Director (Jared Godfrey) – 215 points → Position 17 earns a R50 spot prize.
• Meadowridge No1 (Jared Godfrey) – 162 points → Position 42 earns a R50 spot prize.

Congratulations to both — proof that mid-table finishes can still bring rewards!

🪵 Wooden Spoon

• Pat’s Pick (Pat Vd Munckhof) – 113 points Despite a spirited effort, Pat’s Pick finishes last and takes home the wooden spoon.

📅 Season Wrap-Up

This year’s fantasy league was one of the most competitive yet:

• The top two were separated by just seven points.
• Twelve teams picked Rybakina in the women’s draw, which proved decisive.
• The men’s final swung the leaderboard one last time, sealing Dropshots’ victory.
• Rivalries flourished across the table — from the podium chase to the wooden spoon battle.

Thank you all for playing, debating, and keeping the league alive with energy and fun. Whether you finished at the top, mid-table, or bottom, you were part of the story.

The final leaderboard is below:

Reminder:

• Blue Highlighter = Picked Zverev and Rybakina
• Yellow Highlighter = Picked either Zverev or Rybakina
• Red Highlighter = Eliminated

Dream Team:

Our Winner – Dropshots Team and Best team of Males

Incredibly their males due to the sub system scored more than the dream team males. Well done Roger!

Best Team of Ladies – 12th Place – Eish – Pat

Some Notable Picks

Men:

• Alex Michelsen – Scored 36 Points (Just 2 People picked him)
• Carlos Alcaraz – Scored 32 Points (35 people backed him)
• Alexander Blockx – Scored 29 Points (Just 1 person backed him)
• Botic Van De Zandschulp – Scored 28 Points (1 person picked him

Ladies:

• Coco Gauff – Scored 33 Points (28 People picked the American)
• Mirra Andreeva – Scored 30 Points (11 People picked her)
• Jessica Pegula – Scored 30 Points (16 People picked her)
• Taylor Townsend – Scored 26 Points (12 People picked her)

Thank you all for another amazing Fantasy League year. See you all in 2027 where we will be back for the Aussie Open once again.