Ben Shelton ended defending champion Carlos Alcaraz's US Open title defense early Wednesday in New York, winning a dramatic quarterfinal 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7). The American completed the upset at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a 146 mph ace on match point after four hours and 28 minutes, according to the US Open and Roland-Garros tournament sites.
The match finished at about 3:33 a.m. local time, the latest conclusion in US Open history. Shelton, the eighth seed, earned his first victory over a top-three opponent on his 18th attempt and advanced to his second US Open semifinal. The result also stopped Alcaraz's 18-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments.
Alcaraz took a closely contested opening set in a tiebreak, but Shelton responded emphatically, conceding only four games across the next two sets. The Spaniard then reversed the momentum with a 6-1 fourth set. Neither player secured the decisive break in the fifth, sending the contest to a first-to-10 final-set tiebreak that Shelton won 10-7.
Official tournament reporting said Alcaraz produced 38 winners to Shelton's 34 and held the American to seven aces during the match. However, Alcaraz also recorded 53 unforced errors. Shelton's final serve, measured at 146 mph, sealed what Spanish outlet AS described as the biggest victory of his career after he entered the night with a 0-17 record against top-three players.
Shelton described the contest afterward as an exhausting and highly physical battle, while praising Alcaraz's ability and achievements. Alcaraz, playing his first tournament since April following a wrist injury, said he was proud of his fight and encouraged that he completed such a demanding match healthy, even though he tired after the third set.
The victory guarantees an American man a place in the final because Shelton will face compatriot Frances Tiafoe on Friday. Tiafoe reached the semifinal by recovering from two sets and a break down to defeat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6). Shelton is now two wins from becoming the first American men's singles champion at the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003.
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