Shelton ends Alcaraz’s US Open defence in record-setting upset
Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets to reach the US Open semi-finals, where he will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe.
Ben Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) in the US Open quarter-finals in New York, ending the defending champion’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak.
The match concluded at 3:33 a.m. local time, which ESPN reported as the latest finish in tournament history. Shelton’s victory was his first over a top-three player and secured his third major semi-final.
Shelton, the top-ranked American man, will meet fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals. The pair have split their two previous US Open meetings, with both players seeking their first major final.
The result also guarantees that a Black American man will reach the US Open men’s final for the first time since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Shelton’s win ended Alcaraz’s bid to retain the title and marked his first defeat to an American player at a Grand Slam.
The men’s draw has opened significantly after early defeats and withdrawals involving leading players, including Novak Djokovic and Jannik Sinner. Shelton and Tiafoe now face an opportunity in a tournament that has become increasingly unsettled.
