It wasn’t the day for the American dream to be fulfilled as Ben Shelton came up short against Alexander Zverev in the US Open final. The German, however, finished his best Slam season ever, with a 25-2 record at the Majors in 2026, and also went home happy, taking a big cheque for his run in New York.

How Much Prize Money Did Alexander Zverev Receive for Winning the 2026 US Open Men’s Singles Title?

Zverev took home a cheque of $5.5 million, having won the title at Flushing Meadows this year. It’s about $500,000 more than what Carlos Alcaraz took home last year, with the Spaniard pocketing $5 million for winning the title. The increase is part of the US Open’s decision to increase its total prize money pool by twenty percent for this year, which amounts to $108 million, a record-breaking sum at a Grand Slam.

What’s even more impressive is that Elena Rybakina took home the same amount of money that Zverev is taking home. The US Open became the first Grand Slam tournament in 1973 to offer equal prize money to both men and women, a move that followed unified protests by WTA players led by Billie Jean King.

How Much Tax Will Alexander Zverev Pay on His US Open 2026 Prize Money?

The tax dent on Zverev’s US Open winnings will be two-fold. Under US federal law, 37 percent of the winnings will be withheld, as the prize money exceeds $609,351. He will also be subject to New York state tax, which will deduct an additional 9.65 percent from his total earnings.

With Zverev living in Monaco, he does not face any additional tax burden, as Monaco has no personal income tax. The World No.2 does not stay long enough in his home country, Germany, to be considered a tax resident and therefore will have no issues with double taxation.

How Much Money Does Alexander Zverev Actually Take Home After Taxes?

The total tax cut for Zverev amounts to approximately $2.5 million, given that the federal tax of 37 percent is $2.03 million and the additional New York tax of 9.65 percent is over $530,000.

The deductions mean that the total take-home for the US Open champion is approximately $2.9 million, adding to the German’s impressive career earnings of over $68 million. The top seed did not have a great start at the US Open, as he was pushed to five-set matches in the first two rounds, but worked his way into the draw across the two weeks.

In the final, Zverev showed up with an exceptional performance, completely nullifying Shelton’s power game as well as the partisan New York crowd. It was also redemption for the World No.2, who could not secure the US Open title back in 2020, despite having a two-set lead against Dominic Thiem.