Carlos Alcaraz has been pushed to his physical limits on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The defending US Open champion was seen appearing to throw up into his towel during his marathon quarterfinal against Ben Shelton, with the match continuing well beyond 2 a.m. in New York. It was a striking moment in an already gruelling battle, as Alcaraz briefly turned away from the court before attempting to compose himself and carry on.
Carlos Alcaraz throwing up in his towel during his match against Ben Shelton at the U.S. Open.
It’s past 2 in the morning.
He’s giving it his all. pic.twitter.com/hz6908jJPQ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 9, 2026
And he has plenty left to fight for. The defending champion is battling through a deciding fifth set, with Shelton currently leading 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 6-1, 1-0.
Alcaraz, visibly struggling with the physical demands of the marathon contest, turned to his towel after appearing to be sick before attempting to compose himself and continue.
Carlos Alcaraz kusmasını kimse görmesin diye kameramanı uyarıyor ama başarılı olamıyor pic.twitter.com/ZU7Er9BPeZ
— Dodikan #Tennis (@Dogukandilber) September 9, 2026
The former American tennis player James Blake said that Alcaraz did not want the camera to see him throwing up, so he asked the cameraman to look away
James Blake said that Carlos Alcaraz told the cameraman to look away from him vomiting.
Carlos was NOT about to let everyone see him throwing up. #usopen
🎥 @TWDTV1 pic.twitter.com/xueTEdpzzx
— Andrew Jerell Jones, Luke 1:37 (BlueSky too now) (@sluggahjells) September 9, 2026
The extraordinary moment comes after the Spaniard fought back from two sets to one down, taking the fourth set 6-1 to force the decider. Shelton has now held serve at the start of the fifth, leaving Alcaraz trailing 1-0 and under immense pressure.
Carlos Alcaraz vs Ben Shelton US Open 2026 Live Update:
The opening set had gone Alcaraz’s way after a tense tiebreak, with the Spaniard edging it 7-6(5). Shelton responded emphatically, however, taking the second set 6-1 before edging the third 6-3 and moving within one set of a major upset.
Alcaraz then produced another surge of energy, racing through the fourth set 6-1 to keep his title defence alive.
Shelton’s serve has been one of the biggest weapons of the night. The American has reached 149 mph and has repeatedly used his power to keep Alcaraz under pressure. In the first set alone, Shelton won eight of nine points when he came forward and served-and-volleyed on seven occasions.
