Alexander Zverev beat Ben Shelton 6-2 6-4 at the BMW Open in Munich in 70 minutes to win his 24th career title and the first this season on his 28th birthday. Zverev did not face a break point and won 33 of 37 first serve points in the first Munich final between the first top two seeds in 15 years.
Zverev was playing in his first final since finishing runner-up to Jannik Sinner at the Australan Open last January.
Zverev broke serve in the first game and held at 30 to consolidate the break for 2-0. The German player earned his second break in the second break to open up a 5-2 lead, when Shelton made his second double fault. Zverev hit his crosscourt backhand to close out the first set with his first love hold of this final. Zverev served 83% and won 16 of his 19 first serve points in the first set.
Zverev earned an early break in the first game of the second set when Shelton sailed a forehand. Th e German player held serve at love to build up a 6-2 2-0 lead.
Zverev earned two championship points with a drop shot winner in the 10th game and sealed the win with a backhand volley on his first match point after 71 minutes.
Zverev won for the third time in his career in Munich following his back-to-back victories in 2017 and 2018. The Hamburg native player joined his compatriot Phillp Kohlschreiber as the third player in Open Era history to win three titles in Munich. Kohlscheiber won this tournament three times in 2007, 2012 and 2016.
Zverev has won his first title since last November, when he triumphed at the Masters 1000 in Paris Bercy. After losing to Sinner at the Australian Open Zverev was not able to make it past the quarter finals at six consecutive tournaments.
Zverev dropped just one set in five tournament wins beating Alexandre Muller, Daniel Altmeier, Tallon Griekspoor, Fabian Maroszan and Ben Schelton. Zverev came back from one set down only in the quarter final when he beat Griekspoor.
Alexander Zverev: “It’s extremely special, I always love winning tournaments in Germany. It’s probably the most special thing I can do. It’s definitely a great birthday present, let’s put it that way. I definitely knew I had to play my best tennis today, Ben has been playing extremely well this week. The conditions suit him extremely well, it’s very hot and very fast. They suit me as well, to be fair. I enjoyed my birthday so far.”
Shelton became the first US player to reach a clay final above the ATP 250 level since André Agassi won in Rome in 2002. He claimed his first title on this surface in Houston in 2024.
