In a grueling late-night encounter that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday, 23-year-old Ben Shelton secured a landmark victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. The quarter-final match at Arthur Ashe Stadium concluded at 3:33 AM, marking the latest finish in US Open history and the fifth-latest in the history of Grand Slam tennis. For Shelton, the win represents a pivotal career milestone, as he now advances to a semi-final showdown against fellow American Frances Tiafoe.
Reflecting on the physical and mental toll of the contest, a weary Shelton told reporters, “I’m tired. That was a war, an epic match.” Following the final point—a blistering ace clocked at 146 mph—Shelton celebrated by acknowledging his family and his girlfriend, soccer star Trinity Rodman. During his post-match interview, he lightheartedly requested that his sister, Emma, be granted a day off after she endured the entire duration of the match from the stands.
The victory ensures that an American man will compete in Sunday’s final, with the potential to become the first home-grown champion since Andy Roddick in 2003. Furthermore, the upcoming semi-final guarantees that one of the two competitors will become the first Black American man to reach a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Shelton enters the next round with a 3-1 head-to-head record against Tiafoe, having previously defeated him in the 2023 US Open quarter-finals.
The match itself was a volatile affair. After Alcaraz claimed the first set in a tiebreak, he struggled with consistency, committing 134 total errors, 53 of which were unforced. Shelton capitalized on this momentum, reeling off nine consecutive games to seize a two-sets-to-one lead. The American’s powerful serve and tactical net play proved decisive, as he successfully countered Alcaraz’s drop shots and forced the Spaniard into difficult positions. Alcaraz, who had previously held a 3-0 record against Shelton, acknowledged the pressure of his opponent’s delivery, noting that the serve provided Shelton with a significant advantage during critical moments.
Despite his struggles, Alcaraz mounted a late comeback, creating 11 break-point opportunities and converting three. The physical strain was evident as the defending champion was seen hunching over his racket and vomiting into a towel during the match. However, Shelton maintained his composure through the final tiebreak. After securing a late mini-break to lead 7-6, he closed out the match with consecutive aces, becoming the first American to defeat Alcaraz at a major tournament on his 14th attempt.
As the tournament progresses, the path to a major title has opened up for Shelton, with both Alcaraz and the injured Jannik Sinner now out of the draw. The atmosphere inside the stadium remained surreal as the match concluded, with the sounds of grounds crew vehicles echoing outside while the remaining spectators witnessed what felt like a dream-like finish. Shelton, who has previously celebrated victories with a signature “answering the call” phone gesture, now finds himself in a prime position to contend for his first Grand Slam trophy. The report also notes that the clock on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court read 3.33am, when Shelton fired the final ball out wide for his seventh ace of the night. The report also notes that he pumped his fists and greeted his coach’s box with a primal scream, after embracing Alcaraz at the net. The report also notes that she had spent the entire night and much of the early morning watching her little brother play. The report also notes that he said three years ago ), he still had yet to prove he could meet the big moments, and as much as Shelton believed in his potential to contend for major titles (“I wanna be that dude in the draw that there’s not one player who wants to see me”. The report also notes that he’s the best American men’s prospect to come along in a generation, a 6ft 4in southpaw with a thunderous serve. The report also notes that he’s also exactly what US commentators had been wishing for with their pleas for some basketball forward or football wide receiver to pick up a racket and focus on tennis instead. The report also notes that in short order, Shelton went from winning a college national championship at the University of Florida to cracking the top 50 in the world to pushing Novak Djokovic in the 2023 US Open semi-finals. The report also notes that the Serb infamously stole the celebration for himself, but when Djokovic beat him en route to winning the title.
Comments