German tennis star Alexander Zverev (29) has captured his second major tennis title of 2026, overcoming over a decade of frustration, controversies, and injuries.

Zverev defeated Ben Shelton of the United States at the US Open, which concluded on September 14 (KST), lifting another major tournament trophy just three months after securing his first-ever major title at the French Open last June.

Over the past three years, only three players have captured two men's singles major titles in a single calendar year: Jannik Sinner (Italy), Carlos Alcaraz (Spain), and Zverev.

Unlike Sinner and Alcaraz, who collected multiple major trophies in their early-to-mid 20s at ages 25 and 23 respectively, Zverev achieved his first major victory at 29, just before turning 30.

Looking back a decade, Zverev was once touted as a top prospect just like Sinner and Alcaraz.

Born to parents who were elite tennis players in the former Soviet Union, the 198 cm tall versatile player was expected to excel with his combination of power, technique, and stamina, but his path was not smooth.

Living with diabetes since childhood, he suffered a severe injury during the 2022 French Open semifinals against Rafael Nadal (retired, Spain), severely twisting his right ankle and tearing his ligament.

He also faced stigma as a "troublemaker" following allegations of domestic abuse against former partners.

While an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) investigation concluded there was insufficient evidence for disciplinary action, a case involving Brenda Patea, the mother of his child, resulted in a summary order and a fine by a German court in 2023.

Zverev appealed at the time, and both parties reached a settlement in June 2024.

Zverev reached his first-ever major final at the 2020 US Open.

Facing Dominic Thiem (Austria), who has since retired early, Zverev took a 2-0 lead before suffering a comeback defeat, leaving him with bitter disappointment.

Reflecting on that moment after his recent victory, Zverev said, "Back then, I struggled with my serve, especially my second serve. I felt like my serve could collapse at any moment. Fortunately, things are different now."

Even as he maintained an upward trajectory after overcoming his 2022 ankle injury, his major final jinx persisted.

He lost back-to-back major finals to Alcaraz at the 2024 French Open and to Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open.

From the 2024 Australian Open through this year's Australian Open, Sinner and Alcaraz shared nine consecutive major titles, making their two-man dominance look permanent until Zverev broke the streak.

He laughed and said, "I believed. I believed my victory was possible. But many of you probably didn't believe it."

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)