ABC secures most-watched US Open men’s final in network history

ABC has recorded its highest-rated US Open men's final in network history, according to wire material. The championship match between Ben Shelton and Alexander Zverev drew an average of 3.2 million viewers on ABC, surpassing the previous record since ESPN took over broadcasting rights in 2009. The audience grew by 9 percent compared to the 2024 final, which featured Taylor Fritz, who became the first American man to compete in a US Open final since Andy Roddick. The peak viewership for the final was 4.0 million in the 5:30 p.m. ET quarter-hour.

The strong performance of the men's final came as Zverev's victory over Shelton outpaced an all-American semifinal between Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, which averaged 3.1 million viewers. Zverev's win over Karen Khachanov earlier that day had an even smaller audience of 1.2 million viewers.

Meanwhile, the women's final on Saturday saw Elena Rybakina defeat Aryna Sabalenka, with a 2.7 million viewer average, marking a 13 percent increase from last year's match. The peak audience for the women's final was 3.2 million viewers. Overall, ESPN characterized this year's US Open as the most-watched since 2022, with an average of 1.2 million viewers across the two-week tournament, a 4 percent increase from the previous year.