Ben Shelton Beats Carlos Alcaraz to Reach US Open Semifinals

Historic Midnight Marathon Match at U.S. Open

In the latest-finishing match in US Open history, No. 8 seed Ben Shelton dethroned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shelton pulled out a dramatic 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) victory in a marathon tussle that finally concluded at 3:33 a.m. ET on Wednesday. The loss snapped Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments.

A Midnight Thriller Breaks Tournament Records

Starting just after 11 p.m., the epic contest spanned 4 hours and 28 minutes. Thousands of dedicated fans remained in their seats until the final point, rallying behind the young American with boisterous chants of “USA! USA!” and shouting his name into the early morning hours. Shelton benefited greatly from the electric home-crowd support, leveraging every ounce of energy against one of the sport’s most popular figures.

The 3:33 a.m. finish surpassed the previous US Open record for the latest end time. Ironically, Alcaraz had played in that previous record-holder when he outlasted Jannik Sinner at 2:50 a.m. during the 2022 quarterfinals en route to his maiden Grand Slam trophy. Across all Grand Slam tournaments, only the 2008 Australian Open match where Lleyton Hewitt defeated Marcos Baghdatis at 4:34 a.m. local time ended later.

Shifts in Momentum and High-Stakes Drama

Shelton seized control of the match early on by stringing together nine consecutive games, surging from early in the second set to take a 3-0 lead in the third. However, Alcaraz competing in his first tournament since April following a right wrist injury refused to yield easily. Even after vomiting before the start of the final set, the Spaniard fought back fiercely to force a deciding tiebreaker.

In the dramatic 10-point tiebreaker, Alcaraz reeled off four straight points to go ahead 5-3. Entering the match with a 15-2 record in five-setters, the world No. 2 seemed poised to escape once again. Yet Shelton regrouped behind his signature weapon a massive serve capable of exceeding 140 mph. Capitalizing on a few unforced errors from his opponent, Shelton fired a 146 mph serve on match point that Alcaraz could not return, sealing the historic triumph.

Historic All-American Semifinal Set for Friday

With the victory, Shelton reached his third Grand Slam semifinal, matching his runs at the 2023 US Open and 2025 Australian Open. He also became the first American man to defeat a defending US Open champion in five sets since an 18-year-old Pete Sampras knocked off Mats Wilander in 1989. Meanwhile, Alcaraz, who won his seventh major title at the Australian Open to start the year before his injury layoff, will have to wait for his next Grand Slam trophy.

Shelton next faces No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe in a marquee semifinal clash on Friday. Tiafoe advanced after a grueling comeback of his own, defeating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) on Tuesday to reach his third US Open semifinal. Their upcoming matchup guarantees that the United States will have a representative in Sunday’s final as the nation seeks its first men’s major singles champion since Andy Roddick lifted the trophy in Flushing Meadows in 2003.

Friday’s showdown between Shelton and Tiafoe carries profound historical significance: it marks the first major meeting in the semifinals or later between Black American men in the Open era. Additionally, the winner will become the first Black American man to reach a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.

A Marathon Day in Flushing Meadows

The quarterfinal drama was part of an unprecedented day of tennis at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, where three of the four singles quarterfinals on Tuesday were decided by match tiebreakers. The action began earlier in the day when Aryna Sabalenka edged Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova to keep her campaign for a third consecutive US Open title alive.