Ben Shelton Ends Carlos Alcaraz’ US Open Reign in Historic Late-Night Thriller/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets, finishing the latest-ending match in US Open history at 3:33 a.m. The American advanced to face Frances Tiafoe, guaranteeing the United States a player in the men’s final. Despite the loss, Alcaraz said he was proud of his performance and relieved to finish his comeback tournament healthy.
Quick Look
- Shelton won 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7).
- The quarterfinal lasted 4 hours and 28 minutes.
- Shelton completed the victory with a 146-mph ace.
- The match ended at a US Open-record 3:33 a.m.
- Alcaraz’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak ended.
- Alcaraz was playing his first tournament since April following a wrist injury.
- Shelton advanced to his third Grand Slam semifinal.
- Tiafoe rallied from two sets down to beat Alex Michelsen.
- An American man is guaranteed to reach the final.
- No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Deep Look
Shelton dethrones the defending champion
NEW YORK — Ben Shelton ended Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open title defense with a 146-mph ace at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday, completing an exhausting five-set quarterfinal that produced the latest finish in tournament history.
Shelton defeated the second-seeded Spaniard 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) after 4 hours and 28 minutes inside Arthur Ashe Stadium.
“I’m tired. It was a war,” Shelton said. “Carlos is one of the greatest champions of our sport. It was the most enjoyable match I’ve had in my career, for sure.”
The result advanced Shelton to an all-American semifinal against No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe. The official US Open results confirmed that Shelton earned his first victory against an opponent ranked in the top three.
Alcaraz’s winning streak comes to an end
The defeat ended Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments.
Alcaraz entered the US Open as the defending champion and had won his seventh major title at the Australian Open earlier in the year. His preparations for New York were complicated by a right wrist injury that kept him away from competition for four months.
“I mean it was close, it was really close, so I was disappointed I didn’t get the win at the end,” Alcaraz said. “But I’m happy, I am proud of myself about how I fought. As I said, physically I was really tired but I found a way to push myself.”
Alcaraz had lost only one set during his first four rounds and said his body responded better than expected after the extended absence.
A record-setting night in New York
Alcaraz was also involved in the previous latest-finishing match at the tournament. He defeated Jannik Sinner in a 2022 quarterfinal that ended at 2:50 a.m. before going on to win his first Grand Slam title at age 19.
The Shelton match pushed the record another 43 minutes into the morning.
Thousands of spectators remained for the conclusion, with Arthur Ashe Stadium estimated to be about one-third full. The crowd offered strong support to both players, although Shelton received the louder home-country backing.
Fans chanted Shelton’s name and “USA! USA!” while Alcaraz supporters responded with “Ole, Ole Ole Ole” and “Vamos Carlos!”
“It’s incredible,” Shelton said. “I always say that this is the greatest sports city in the world, I say that this is the greatest stadium in the world. I’m just hoping that my best friend and my sister over there don’t have to be at work at 6 a.m. in three hours.”
Shelton takes control before Alcaraz rallies
After Alcaraz narrowly won the opening set, Shelton seized control by capturing nine consecutive games. That run began early in the second set and gave the American a 3-0 advantage in the third.
Shelton won the second and third sets, moving within one set of the semifinal.
Alcaraz responded emphatically in the fourth, winning it 6-1 to force a deciding set. He continued competing despite vomiting before the fifth set began.
The two players held firm through the decider, sending the match into a final-set tiebreak.
A 146-mph serve seals the upset
Alcaraz won four consecutive points in the tiebreak to take a 5-3 lead, appearing to move closer to completing another late-night escape.
Shelton responded with his powerful serve and benefited from several Alcaraz errors. He regained control before producing a 146-mph ace on match point that the Spaniard could not return.
The victory sent Shelton into his third major semifinal. He previously reached the final four at the 2023 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open.
Alcaraz’s career record in five-set matches fell to 15-2.
Alcaraz leaves proud and healthy
Alcaraz smiled as he approached the net to embrace Shelton and continued smiling while speaking with reporters afterward.
“I leave the court happy,” Alcaraz said. “I leave the court with a smile. I am proud of myself, how I fought.”
The Spaniard emphasized that completing the tournament without aggravating his wrist was an important outcome.
“As I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play these kind of matches, be healthy,” he said after his 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) defeat.
“I mean it was close, it really was close, so I was disappointed I didn’t get the win in the end, but I’m just happy … physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself.”
Alcaraz also summarized his response in Spanish after the match.
“I’m leaving happy and my head held high,” Alcaraz said. “The truth is, I wanted to win … but also our goal was to leave the tournament having played matches and staying healthy.”
Alcaraz praises Shelton’s performance
Alcaraz credited Shelton with playing a disciplined match and maintaining his physical level through the early-morning finish.
“Shelton played a very complete, very mature match,” Alcaraz said in Spanish. “He knew exactly what to do at every moment. And, physically, he’s a beast. It seemed like he had no weaknesses whatsoever. “
Shelton similarly described the contest as a career highlight.
“It was a war,” Shelton said. “Carlos is one of the greatest champions of our sport. It was the most enjoyable match I’ve had in my career, for sure.”
The outcome ended Alcaraz’s title reign but demonstrated that the 23-year-old could immediately contend at a major after his lengthy injury absence.
“It feels like I’ve been competing the whole time,” he said of his extended break. “I surprise myself the way that I’m feeling, and the way that I’m recovering after every match. I’m just really happy about it,” he had said after advancing to the fourth round, “that I’m able to perform at my best after every match.”
Fans witness a historic match
Among the remaining spectators were friends Anushka Sancheti and Prajakti Kapde, both 28.
Sancheti traveled from Atlanta, while Kapde came from Raleigh, North Carolina. Neither had previously attended a professional tennis match or watched Alcaraz compete in person.
They bought their tickets without knowing which players would appear and ultimately watched their favorite player take part in a record-setting quarterfinal.
“We do understand how historic this is,” Sancheti said.
Added Kapde: “We really can’t believe it!”
Tiafoe completes his own comeback
Shelton will face Tiafoe, who overcame a two-set deficit to defeat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6).
Michelsen entered the quarterfinal as the only man who had not lost a set during the tournament. He served for the match at 5-4 in the third set but could not finish the victory.
Tiafoe recovered and later came back from a 3-0 deficit in the fifth set. The win sent him into his third US Open semifinal and will return him to the top 10 in the next rankings.
“It wasn’t good, let’s put it that way. It wasn’t good,” Tiafoe said of his slow start. “Three out of five is a blessing, because you have time to get it together. I definitely waited for the last minute.”
Tiafoe joined Andre Agassi as the only American men to reach three US Open semifinals during the 21st century. Michelsen, ranked 46th, fell to 0-6 in five-set matches.
American men secure a finalist
The Shelton-Tiafoe semifinal guarantees that an American man will compete in Sunday’s championship match.
Tiafoe previously reached the semifinals in 2022, losing to Alcaraz, and in 2024, when he was defeated by fellow American Taylor Fritz.
An American has not won a men’s Grand Slam singles championship since Andy Roddick captured the 2003 US Open title. Shelton and Tiafoe will now compete for an opportunity to end that drought.
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