Other than being in the final, both Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton had something in common that could easily be missed. Both their families have played a massive role in where they are today. And that is what made the postgame moments after the US Open final even more memorable for Zverev.

“For me, I have a very soft spot for Ben and for his entire crew because it’s also a family affair,” said Zverev while speaking on the show, Live Kelly & Mark, after his Sunday win. “Very similar to me and my father… who’s been my coach for my entire career.”

Right after Zverev realized he had won and barely finished celebrating, he turned toward Ben Shelton’s team after winning the US Open. Instead of simply soaking in his second Grand Slam title, Zverev walked straight toward Bryan Shelton.

The German shook hands with the entire American team before hugging Ben’s father and sharing a moment. It was touching, especially because Alexander Zverev understands what family sacrifice can mean in tennis.

Zverev’s own journey has always been closely tied to those who helped build his career. His father, Alexander Zverev Sr., reached No. 175 and represented the Soviet Union in 36 Davis Cup ties. His mother, Irina Zvereva, also played professionally before raising 2 sons around tennis.

Alexander Sr. eventually became his son’s longtime coach, guiding him through years of hard tennis matches.

Alexander Zverev worked with Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer for a short while but came back to his father in 2022. That reunion eventually brought the breakthrough both had spent years chasing together at Roland Garros.

Zverev admitted winning his first Grand Slam removed pressure that had followed him throughout his career. After that win, he said, “all that pressure just came off,” and something inside him unlocked.

That experience made Bryan Shelton’s sacrifice easier for Zverev to understand after the final.

Bryan had already built his own career, reaching No. 55 and winning 2 ATP singles titles. He also won NCAA team titles with Georgia Tech and Florida before changing everything for Ben. In June 2023, Bryan left Florida after 11 seasons to become Ben’s full-time traveling coach.

The decision also meant Bryan could share moments he once had to miss with his son. He missed Ben’s 2023 Australian Open quarterfinal run while still coaching Florida at the time. Since becoming Ben’s full-time coach, Bryan has shared many major moments with his son.

That included Ben’s win over Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open quarterfinals and the special run he had until the final.

After beating Ben, Alexander Zverev walked over to Bryan and offered more than simple congratulations.

He told Bryan, “I’m pretty sure that you guys are going to win the Grand Slam title very soon.”

Alexander Zverev then looked ahead at Ben’s future, saying, “I think he’s going to be the next American Grand Slam champion.” For Bryan, those words came from someone who understood what their families sacrificed together.

Ben Shelton’s father has a major complaint about Alexander Zverev

The US Open final had already given the Arthur Ashe crowd plenty to react to. But things took another turn when Ben Shelton appeared frustrated by Alexander Zverev’s long serving routine. Shelton eventually spoke with the chair umpire as Zverev took his time before another serve.

His father and coach, Bryan Shelton, later admitted the routine was making it harder for Ben to find his rhythm.

What made the routine frustrating was not simply the time Zverev took before serving. The German repeatedly bounced the ball, forcing Shelton to keep resetting himself before each return.

Bryan said, “Sasha bounces the ball so many times it just kind of puts you off.”

Zverev was then asked to be “a little bit quicker” as the crowd also began showing its frustration.

But Bryan was not the first person to raise concerns about Zverev’s serving routine. Karen Khachanov had complained about the same habit after losing to Zverev earlier in the tournament.

“It annoys not only me, of course, but a lot of players,” Khachanov said about the repeated bouncing.

Still, he admitted Zverev was within the rules whenever he stayed inside the allowed time.

With Ben trailing after the opening set, Bryan had already seen what needed changing. He told Ben to relax, hit his targets, and use the kick toward Zverev’s forehand more often.

“Just relax a little bit more,” Bryan advised, while also telling him to move forward whenever opportunities appeared.

Zverev, meanwhile, has denied doing it deliberately, saying, “I’m not doing it on purpose,” and “I’m not counting in my head.”

Unless officials have a strict rule about this, what the German is doing is within limits. And players may keep complaining, but nothing will change.