In the US, September brings a return to school, the smell of pumpkin spice and a cool autumn breeze – and the US Open, one of tennis’s four major annual tournaments. Held at Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York, this year it took place between 23 August and 13 September. It’s played on outdoor hard courts, featuring singles, doubles, mixed doubles and wheelchair draws.

With Italy’s Jannik Sinner out with an injury and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz knocked out in the quarter-finals, the US Open Men’s Championship was up for grabs. Germany’s Alexander Zverev (the no. 1 seed) clinched the men’s single title, beating home crowd hero Ben Shelton in a four-set showdown 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2. Shelton would have been the first American to win a major in 23 years, but it was not to be.

Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina had a great run, defeating defending champion Aryna Sabalenka 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Both Zverev and Rybakina are first-time US Open champions, etching their name into history.

Winners aside, who were the standout young players in the tournament?

 

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Kristina Liutova

It’s always impressive to see teenagers rock the ATP tour, but Russian teenager Kristian Liutova just raised the bar even higher. Born in 2010, the 16-year-old (even younger than me!), managed to win all three of her qualifier matches to advance to the main draw.

Despite falling short in the first round against China’s QW Zheng, playing in the US Open main draw is already a massive milestone, and it helped Liutova reach her career-high WTA single ranking of no. 114. Liutova proved that she is one to watch in the next tennis season.

Iva Jovic

Iva Jovic is another rising teenage star to look out for. The 18-year-old American was already climbing up the WTA ranking prior to the US Open, entering the tournament as the 14th seed. Jovic stomped her early opponents in straight sets.

In the third round, she caused an upset by beating tournament favourite Alexandra Eala, the Philippines’ rising star and her personal close friend, in an epic three-hour match. However, Jovic was then knocked out by fellow American Coco Gauff. Regardless, her US Open run was remarkable and certainly worthy of praise.

Alex Michelsen

Another young American player, 22-year-old Alex Michelsen, has been making waves since 2025 when he reached a career-high ATP ranking of no. 20. He blew away his opponents in the first four rounds, not dropping a single set across all four matches.

In the quarter-final, he went up against fellow American Francis Tiafoe. In a nail-biting five-setter, Michelsen just missed out on reaching the semi-finals, losing the last set in a tie break 7 (10)-6 (6). His extraordinary effort was exemplified in a heartwarming and tearful embrace with Tiafoe after their match.

Ben Shelton

Last but not least, we have the runner-up in the men’s singles. You may have previously seen the 23-year-old American on his fast-growing social media platforms or through his girlfriend Trinity Rodman, the highest-paid female soccer player in the world.

Known for his strong serve, Shelton came into the tournament with momentum and a run of good form. With the home crowd behind him, he cruised through the early rounds before he was given a tough draw. He really started to make waves when he knocked out world no. 2 Carlos Alcaraz – in a dramatic battle that lasted until 3.33am, the latest-ever finish in the tournament’s history.

Despite falling short against Alexander Zverev in the final, Shelton showed that he has stepped up his game and is ready to storm the next tennis season.

How tennis is marketed to Gen Z

With big names such as Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal retired, and Novak Djokovic reaching the end of his career, a new wave of young Gen Z players are joining the tour. Alongside their tennis skills, these new players are bringing a younger audience to the sport through social media and branding.

ATP (the official global body that run’s men’s professional tennis) has partnered with TikTok to help players and tennis content creators produce exclusive behind-the-scenes and game coverage, creating attention-grabbing content on platforms that Gen Z are familiar with and have access to.

The US Tennis Association launched a special credentials programme in 2025 for social media creators at the US Open, giving them access to capture the tournament through their unique lenses in hopes of attracting a wider audience.