Ben Shelton has delivered the biggest win of his career at the US Open, knocking out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a four-hour, 28-minute five-set thriller at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach the semifinals. The eighth-seeded American survived a late-night battle that finished at 3:33 a.m., winning 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) to end Alcaraz’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak and set up an all-American semifinal against Frances Tiafoe.
The significance goes beyond Shelton’s biggest scalp. Tiafoe had already booked his place in the last four after another American classic, recovering from two sets and a break down to beat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6). With Shelton and Tiafoe now facing each other, one American man is guaranteed a place in the US Open final, keeping alive the country’s search for its first men’s Grand Slam singles champion since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
Ben Shelton: From Montreal Champion To Alcaraz’s Biggest US Open Scalp
Ben Shelton arrived in New York with the sort of form that makes a deep Grand Slam run believable. He had successfully defended his Canadian Open title in Montreal, beating fellow American Brandon Nakashima in the final to claim his second Masters 1000 trophy. He did it without dropping a set.
His US Open draw, however, offered little room for a quiet start. Shelton came through four-set battles against Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov before dismantling Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets. He then faced Alcaraz, who had beaten him in all three previous meetings.
Shelton’s serve, power and willingness to keep attacking eventually broke down the defending champion. Alcaraz fought back after losing the second and third sets, but Shelton held his nerve in the deciding tiebreak to secure the defining victory of his young career. The win also ended Shelton’s 0-17 record against top-three opponents.
For a player who already reached the US Open semifinals in 2023, this feels different. Shelton is no longer simply the young American with the biggest serve in the room. He now has a chance to go all the way.
Frances Tiafoe: Medvedev Scalp, Michelsen Comeback And Another US Open Semifinal
Frances Tiafoe’s route has been built on the quality that has long made him one of the most dangerous Americans at Flushing Meadows: when the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd gets behind him, he can turn a match on its head.
The 11th seed produced one of his best performances of the tournament against former US Open champion Daniil Medvedev, beating the seventh seed 7-6(1), 6-4, 7-6(6). It was a significant result given Medvedev had won six of their previous seven meetings.
Then came Michelsen. Two sets down and facing elimination, Tiafoe refused to go quietly. He fought back, took the third and fourth sets and then recovered from 0-3 in the fifth before prevailing in the match tiebreak. The victory sent him into his third US Open semifinal, following his runs to the last four in 2022 and 2024.
Now, Shelton and Tiafoe stand between each other and a US Open final. For American men’s tennis, that is the story. One of them will leave New York with a chance to end a 23-year wait.
