Ben Shelton Reaches 1st US Open Final, to Face Alexander Zverev Sunday/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe in four sets to reach his first Grand Slam final.
The eighth-seeded American will face top-seeded Alexander Zverev for the U.S. Open championship Sunday. Shelton is attempting to become the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Quick Look
- Shelton defeated Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
- The match sent Shelton to his first major final.
- He finished the semifinal with 20 aces.
- Tiafoe fell to 0-3 in U.S. Open semifinals.
- Shelton previously eliminated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
- Zverev defeated Karen Khachanov in straight sets.
- The German has won 13 consecutive sets.
- Zverev is 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this season.
- The men’s final is scheduled for Sunday.
- No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since 2003.
Deep Look
Shelton reaches first Grand Slam final
NEW YORK (AP) — Ben Shelton defeated fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 Friday to advance to his first major final at the U.S. Open.
The No. 8 seed will meet top-ranked Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s championship match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Shelton is now one victory away from ending a 23-year men’s Grand Slam title drought for the United States. Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a major singles championship when he captured the U.S. Open in 2003.
“I’m going for it here, and I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton said. “I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do it for the USA.”
American crowd supported both semifinalists
Shelton and Tiafoe played before a packed audience that supported both popular American players.
The crowd included tennis great Serena Williams, New York Knicks player Jalen Brunson and U.S. soccer star Trinity Rodman, Shelton’s girlfriend. Actors Salma Hayek, Ben Stiller and Rami Malek also attended.
“This is where we want to be: at the tail end of this tournament,” said Shelton, a 23-year-old from Georgia who was less than a year old when Roddick won his title. “This is both of our favorite tournament in the world, our favorite court in the world and to be able to light it up in front of (this crowd) is the best feeling that there is.”
With Tiafoe eliminated, most of the home crowd is expected to support Shelton against the German top seed in the final.
Shelton rebounds after losing opening set
The semifinal began after a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. A large American flag was unfurled across the court.
Tiafoe played more consistently in the opening set, committing only three unforced errors compared with Shelton’s 14.
Shelton double-faulted at 4-4, giving Tiafoe the decisive service break. Tiafoe then completed the first set 6-4.
After falling behind, Shelton increased the speed and effectiveness of his serve. He finished the match with 20 aces and prevented Tiafoe from establishing the same control in the remaining sets.
Powerful serving shifts momentum
With the second set tied at 3-all and new balls in play, Shelton delivered a series of forceful serves.
He began with a 125 mph serve that pushed Tiafoe backward and knocked him to the court as he attempted to return it. Shelton followed with serves clocked at 144, 139 and 140 mph.
The final two were aces, allowing Shelton to secure the lead. He won the second set 6-3 and then took the third by the same score.
Marathon game decides third set
The pivotal sequence came in the final game of the third set as Tiafoe attempted to hold serve.
The game lasted 15 minutes and included 20 points. Tiafoe eventually sent a forehand into the net, giving Shelton the set and moving him within one of the final.
Shelton maintained the momentum through a close fourth set before earning a late break and closing out the match 7-5.
The victory followed Shelton’s five-set quarterfinal upset of defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. That match ended at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday, making it the latest finish in U.S. Open history.
Despite the demanding schedule, Shelton appeared to have enough energy to withstand another competitive match.
Tiafoe falls short in another semifinal
Tiafoe lost in the U.S. Open semifinals for the third time.
His two most recent semifinal defeats have come against fellow Americans. Taylor Fritz defeated him in 2024 before losing the championship match to Jannik Sinner.
“I wanted to be in a Grand Slam final. Obviously it was a big match,” Tiafoe said. “Ben played well tonight. Served really well tonight, which made it really tough on me.”
Tiafoe had staged a significant comeback in his quarterfinal against Alex Michelsen. He recovered after losing the opening two sets and erased a 3-0 deficit in the fifth before winning in a match tiebreak.
He could not produce another comeback after Shelton took control of their semifinal.
Zverev reaches second New York final
Zverev earned his place in the championship match by defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6).
The German is seeking his second Grand Slam title after winning the French Open earlier in 2026. He also reached the Wimbledon final, losing to Sinner.
Zverev has compiled a 24-2 record in Grand Slam matches this season.
“Hopefully I can not make the American dream come true on Sunday,” Zverev said.
Zverev recovers from difficult opening rounds
Zverev struggled early in the tournament despite entering as the No. 1 seed at a major for the first time.
He needed five sets to defeat Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys in his first two rounds, spending nearly 9½ hours on the court.
Zverev said he and his team laughed about his level of play after the second match.
“That kind of sense of humor, it helped me,” Zverev said. “Moving forward, I was playing much better tennis. Obviously I have improved a little bit. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in the U.S. Open final.”
He has won 13 consecutive sets since those opening-round struggles.
“Sometimes just things go your way and I feel like I’ve had a lot of struggles at the major level, I was so close so many times, and maybe this year God has said that this is going to be your year and just enjoy the time on the court,” Zverev said.
Zverev seeks redemption after 2020 loss
Sunday will be Zverev’s second U.S. Open final.
He led Dominic Thiem by two sets in the 2020 championship match before losing in a fifth-set tiebreak. Thiem became the first man since 1949 to win the U.S. Open final after dropping the opening two sets.
Khachanov had been attempting to reach his first major final after entering the tournament with a losing record for the season.
Ranked No. 50, he would have become the lowest-ranked U.S. Open men’s finalist since the ATP rankings began in 1973.
Instead, Zverev advanced to meet Shelton in a final that places the reigning French Open champion against the American seeking his first major trophy.
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