Thiem First Since 1949 to Win US Open After Ceding First 2 Sets

Dominic Thiem, of Austria, returns a shot to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during the men's singles final of the US Open tennis championships on Sept. 13, 2020, in New York. Seth Wenig/AP

NEW YORK—A U.S. Open unlike any other finished unlike any other—with an unprecedented fifth-set tiebreaker as Dominic Thiem became the first man in 71 years to win the tournament final after dropping the opening two sets.

So close to defeat in a nearly empty Arthur Ashe Stadium—fans were banned because of the coronavirus pandemic—Thiem slowly but surely turned things around against a faltering Alexander Zverev and surged to a 2-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory at Flushing Meadows to earn his first Grand Slam title.