Ben Shelton dug deep until the early hours of Wednesday morning to notch a statement victory at the US Open, where he upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a scintillating quarter-final clash.
Shelton rallied from 3/5 in the first-to-10-points deciding-set tie-break to edge a thrilling four-hour, 28-minute battle inside Arthur Ashe Stadium that ended at 3:33 a.m. in New York, the latest finish for a match at the hard-court major. World No. 3 Alcaraz had earlier rallied after an uncharacteristically flat display in the second and third sets, but it was Shelton who channelled the vociferous home support to notch the biggest win of his career by PIF ATP Ranking.
The previous record for the latest US Open finish also involved Alcaraz, who saved a match point to edge Jannik Sinner in five sets in the 2022 quarter-finals, with their match finishing at 2:50 a.m.. This time, Alcaraz was unable to repeat the feat, as Shelton held his nerve in the fifth-set tie-break to complete the upset and record his first Top-3 win.
"For me, it is always about the people in the crowd," Shelton, who will meet his good friend and countryman Frances Tiafoe for a championship-match berth, said in his on-court interview. "Whether it is my coaches or my team over there, all my friends and family, or even the city of New York that showed up tonight till 3 a.m. With the USA chants until the very end by the crowd, that's what got me the win tonight."
Shelton is now 13-2 across the North American hard court swing. The 23-year-old claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal last month and has now upset the defending champion Alcaraz in New York to advance to the last four at the hard-court major for a second time after his 2023 run. Alcaraz was playing his first tournament following a four-month injury layoff, but had dropped just one set on his way to the quarter-finals before falling to Shelton.
“Epic match, so physical,” Shelton told reporters after his win. “Carlos is one of the greatest champions in our sport already at 23 years old. It's always fun being on the court against him. It's ridiculous some of the stuff he comes up with sometimes. But the most enjoyable match that I've had in my career, for sure.”
The significance of Shelton’s triumph was clear from the look on his face at match point: He looked at his team with a grin before embracing Alcaraz at the net. He then let out a huge roar to a delighted home crowd before performing his signature ‘telephone’ celebration with his girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman, who was watching from his player's box.
Now 38-13 for the 2026 season, Shelton will take on 11th seed Tiafoe in the last four on Friday, when both players will aim to reach their first major final. Shelton leads 3-1 in his Lexus ATP Head2Head series with Tiafoe: Two of the pair’s four meetings have happened on the hard courts in Flushing Meadows, with Shelton winning a quarter-final meeting in 2023 before Tiafoe claimed a third-round victory in 2024.
Alcaraz was chasing his eighth major title this fortnight and seeking to become the first man since Roger Federer in 2008 to defend his US Open crown. He entered Tuesday’s quarter-final clash on an 18-match winning streak at the majors, a personal-best mark that included his 2025 US Open win and his title run at this year’s Australian Open, with which he became the youngest man to complete the Career Grand Slam.
Shelton, who was 0-3 against Alcaraz and 0-17 against Top-3 opponents overall prior to his win, has risen five spots to No. 4 in the PIF ATP Live Rankings as a result of his US Open run so far, putting him in a good position to set a new career high in the PIF ATP Rankings after the tournament. However, Shelton’s good friend and semi-final opponent Tiafoe could still overtake him by lifting the title in New York.
Tuesday's encounter began with Alcaraz edging a tight first set in a tie-break, before Shelton surged into the lead with dominant showings in the second and third sets. The home hope capitalised expertly on Alcaraz’s drop in level, with the Spaniard particularly wayward off his forehand wing. Alcaraz nonetheless still produced trademark flashes of brilliance, particularly at 0-2 40/AD in the third set when he leapt to retrieve a volley almost behind his back before powering a backhand pass that brought the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd to its feet.
With his title defence on the line, Alcaraz rediscovered his all-around groove in the fourth set and started playing with renewed energy. He broke Shelton’s serve twice to force a decider, but was unable to convert his only break point of the fifth set in the fifth game. Despite Alcaraz saving three break points himself to hold for 4-4, it was Shelton who found the extra burst in the tie-break, winning four of the final five points to cap his win.
The hard-fought nature of the match was reflected in some of the final stats: Alcaraz struck 38 winners to Shelton’s 34, although the Spaniard’s efforts were undermined by his 53 unforced errors, compared to his opponent’s 34.
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