{
  "id": 7673343,
  "title": "U.S. Open men’s final watched by record 3.2 million and key late-night match draws nearly 1 million",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/u-s-open-mens-final-watched-by-record-3-2-million-and-key-late-night",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T00:41:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Winnipeg Free Press",
    "slug": "winnipeg-free-press",
    "url": "https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/sports/tennis/2026/09/15/u-s-open-mens-final-watched-by-record-3-2-million-and-key-late-night-match-draws-nearly-1-million"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a record-breaking performance, the U.S. Open men's final between Alexander Zverev and Ben Shelton drew a staggering 3.2 million viewers on ABC, setting a new high for the tournament since ESPN began broadcasting it in 2009. This marked the first time a U.S. Open men's final achieved such a figure.\n\nThe women's final, won by Elena Rybakina over Aryna Sabalenka, also saw impressive numbers, with 2.7 million viewers tuning in. This was a 13% increase from the previous year.\n\nThe quarterfinals on ESPN drew 1.3 million viewers, while the latest-finishing match between Carlos Alcaraz and Shelton, which lasted until 3:40 a.m. EDT, garnered 1.6 million viewers. A remarkable 967,000 of these viewers remained watching throughout the match's final moments.\n\nThe semifinal match between Americans Frances Tiafoe and Shelton attracted the largest audience for a men's semifinal, with 3.1 million viewers. Overall, ESPN's comprehensive coverage of the U.S. Open averaged 1.2 million viewers, the highest since 2022.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}