Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic five-set US Open quarter-final that ended at 3:35 a.m. local time in New York. The contest began around 11 pm local time after earlier matches delayed the scheduled start of the night session. Meanwhile, the eighth-seeded American prevailed 7-6 (7-5), 1-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10-7) after 4 hours and 28 minutes of play.
Notably, Shelton had entered the match without a victory against a top-three opponent in 17 attempts. He had also been beaten by Alcaraz in their three previous meetings. In the quarter-final, the 23-year-old lost the opening set on a tie-break but responded by taking the next two before
Alcaraz dominated in the fourth set, securing the contest with a 6-1 margin. Meanwhile, neither player could establish a decisive advantage in the final set, forcing another tie-break that Shelton won 10-7.
“For me it’s always about the people in the crowd, whether it’s my coaches and my team, all of my family and friends or the city of New York that showed up tonight until 3AM, that’s what kept me going tonight,” Shelton said after the contest.
“It is incredible, I always say that this is the greatest sports city in the world, this is the greatest stadium in the world. I’m just hoping my best friend and sister don’t have to be at work at 6 a.m. It would be huge for their employers to let them have the day off,” he added.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz was playing his first tournament following an injury absence of more than four months. The seven-time major winner had exceeded expectations during his return, reaching the quarter-finals after defeating 20th seed Tommy Paul in straight sets. His extended absence, however, appeared to become increasingly significant during the demanding contest with Shelton. The match featured prolonged exchanges and intense physical play as both players pushed themselves through the deciding stages.
Shelton vs Tiafoe next
The victory is Shelton’s first against a player ranked in the top three and sends him into a semi-final against fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who reached the last four after recovering from two sets down to beat Alex Michelsen 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3 7-6 (10-6).
The result now guarantees an American place in this year’s final, with no US man having won a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick’s 2003 US Open triumph.
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