Zverev defeats Shelton to win Munich Open | ATP 2025 final

German star Alexander Zverev has reignited his 2025 season with a dominant straight-sets win over Ben Shelton in the Munich Open final, sealing his home-country triumph in just 71 minutes to climb back to No.2 in the ATP rankings.

The 28-year-old entered the ATP 500 tournament out of form but quickly found his groove on the clay in front of an electric German crowd.

By the time he reached the final, Zverev had shortened to -500 with top betting sportsbooks to lift the trophy—and he lived up to those odds.

Shelton, who had impressed throughout the week with strong wins and improved clay-court movement, was no match for the German’s consistency.

Zverev broke early in both sets and cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 victory behind a flawless serving performance.

“I definitely knew I had to play my best tennis today,” Zverev said after the win. “Ben has been playing extremely well this week. The conditions suit him—very hot, very fast.

They suit me as well, to be fair. It’s extremely special. I always love winning tournaments in Germany. It’s probably the most special thing I can do.”

Zverev landed 77% of his first serves and lost just four points behind the shot across the match. He didn’t face a single break point and broke Shelton three times in a performance that echoed his peak years.

“I was trying as hard as I could to return your serves today, but I couldn’t make it work,” Shelton said in his runner-up speech, applauding Zverev’s clinical execution.

The win lifts Zverev past Carlos Alcaraz in the rankings after the Spaniard had briefly overtaken him following his Monte Carlo Masters win. Shelton, meanwhile, climbs to No.13 in the world—just one place below his career-high ranking.

Zverev now shifts focus to Roland-Garros, where he’s been a French Open finalist before. Following his Munich success, his title odds have shortened to +750 with tennis betting sites, placing him on the fourth line of betting.