At the 2009 U.S. Championships, Lysacek placed second in the short program, 2.81 points behind leader Jeremy Abbott and 7.42 points ahead of third-place finisher Parker Pennington. In the free skate, Lysacek fell on his quadruple combination attempt and placed fourth in that segment of the competition. He won the bronze medal overall, placing 0.60 points behind silver medalist Brandon Mroz and 7.70 points ahead of pewter medalist Ryan Bradley. Due to his placement at the U.S. Championships, Lysacek was named to the teams to the 2009 Four Continents Championships and the 2009 World Championships.