The US Open semifinals called, and Ben Shelton answered.
New York City proved why it is ‘the city that never sleeps’ as a near-full house remained at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the latest finish in US Open history – 3:33am.
A match made for the city’s prime-time lights, Shelton’s quarterfinal encounter with world No.1 Carlos Alcaraz was poised to be a blockbuster, and it did not disappoint.
The 6-7(5) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6[10-7] triumph handed Shelton the greatest victory of his short career, the result of a modern-day classic.
An 0-14 record against top-three opponents did not frighten the American. After all, Arthur Ashe Stadium was Shelton’s home playground, where he had won eight of 10 completed matches.
Fuelled by the home crowd, Shelton entered with a strict gameplan and stuck with it for every minute of those four-and-a-half hours. His execution of the plan provided an important milestone in his continued rise and dealt Alcaraz just his second loss in 17 career five-set matches.
“His [Shelton’s] mental discipline staying on message provides clarity in decision making and that was needed against Carlos Alcaraz,” US Open 2003 champion Andy Roddick said on his Served podcast.
“Even in the fifth-set breaker, it wasn’t a lot of looking up and saying ‘c’mon’. He kept inward and was disciplined. It felt like such a massive growth match for Ben Shelton.”
That growth has served Shelton for much of the 2026 season, with all facets in his game improving to accompany his already-lethal southpaw serve. It follows a strong finish to 2025 where the 23-year-old made his top-five debut.
Shelton knew he was close to reaching his desired level, however the ‘Sincaraz’ duopoly kept interrupting his progression.
“I think this game takes time, and the results don’t always come when you want them,” Shelton reflected following his Australian Open 2026 quarterfinal defeat to Jannik Sinner, until Tuesday his most recent battle against member of the duo.
“I’m getting to the point now where I’m getting stopped up by the toughest challenge in the game for the most part, and I do think that I’m close to bringing it all together.
“I’m not complete yet, but I feel myself becoming more complete.”
From the moment Shelton stepped on court with Alcaraz on Tuesday night, it was evident that he had more weapons in his arsenal – improved shot tolerance, overall quality and movement – since his last match against the Spaniard at Roland Garros 2025, something he himself acknowledged.
His mental toughness arguably trumped his wide-ranging skillset, even if Shelton ended the match with a 146mph ace – just shy of his fastest serve of the tournament set a couple of hours earlier.
After dropping the first set in a tiebreak, Shelton composed himself to lose just four games in the next two sets. Not even a late surge from the defending champion could disrupt Shelton as he charged into his second US Open semifinal.
“I knew that my serve was only going to get better, and I had already dialled in the return to the point that I could break him,” Shelton said. “Once I got rolling the second set, broke him three times in that set, it was a lot easier to just play and swing more freely.
“I thought I was smart with how I went about my return games. I thought I made him play a lot.
“I think for me to be able to hang in there in the rallies, have a game plan from the ground, and be able to execute that game plan and not be losing all the baseline points also helps with the return.
“[It was] the most enjoyable match that I’ve had in my career, for sure.”
The fans within Shelton’s home fortress will be divided for Friday’s semifinal when he comes up against compatriot Frances Tiafoe. The all-American matchup will guarantee a home men’s finalist for only the third time in 21 years.
They have previously defeated each other en route to the US Open semifinals. Shelton triumphed against Tiafoe in the 2023 quarterfinals to book a showdown with Novak Djokovic, before Tiafoe handed Shelton just his second loss on Arthur Ashe Stadium in a five-set, third-round epic the following year.
However, their latest encounter presents a greater reward – a maiden Grand Slam final.
If their two matches on New York’s stadium court are anything to go by, Tiafoe believes the third instalment will be box office.
“Me and Ben have played two great matches here,” said Tiafoe, who will face Shelton for the fifth time in his career. “I’m not really thinking about a fanfare type thing, I’m just thinking about a great battle.
“It’s going to be rocking no matter what.”