JUST IN: Shelton Stuns Alcaraz in US Open Thriller to Reach Semi-Finals

Ben Shelton secured the biggest victory of his career after defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set thriller that stretched deep into the New York night to reach the semi-finals of the US Open.

According to the BBC, the American prevailed 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) after four hours and 28 minutes, with the match finishing at 3:33am, making it the latest-ever finish to a US Open match.

The victory marked Shelton’s first career win over a top-three player, having entered the contest with a 0-17 record against players ranked inside the top three.

Shelton will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the last four after Tiafoe also claimed a thrilling five-set victory over Alex Michelsen earlier in the evening.

“For me it’s always about the people in the crowd, whether it’s my coaches, team or friends and family, or the city of New York that showed up tonight until 3am with the USA chants, that’s what kept me going and what got me this win,” Shelton said on-court.

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“It’s incredible. This is the greatest sports city and greatest stadium in the world. I’m hoping my best friend and sister don’t have to be at work at 6am.

“I’m so grateful, so blessed to be in front of you guys and share the court with Carlos is an absolute honour.”

Shelton’s victory guarantees the United States a representative in Sunday’s men’s final, with Andy Roddick remaining the last American man to win a major singles title in 2003.

The defeat also ended Alcaraz’s courageous comeback after he spent more than four months out with a wrist injury and had initially been a doubt for the tournament in New York.

The seven-time major champion, competing in his first tournament since April, was seen vomiting before the start of the deciding set, which eventually went to a 10-point match tie-break.

“As I said before the tournament began, the expectation was to go there, compete… playing these kind of matches, for me being healthy,” said Alcaraz. “It was close, it really was close. So I’m just a little bit disappointed, about, (not) getting the win at the end.

“But, I’m just happy, I’m just proud about myself, about how I fought. After the third set, physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up, physically give an extra. In the fifth set,

“I just started to feel better and better. I was playing against one of the… he is a beast. He’s an unbelievable player. Powerful. He just managed how to play really, really well in every situation, so credit to him. I leave the court happy, I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed.”

Shelton advances to his third Grand Slam semi-final, having previously reached the final four at the 2023 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open.

After losing the opening tie-break, the 23-year-old American produced a remarkable response, winning nine consecutive games on his way to dominating the second and third sets.

Alcaraz fought back in the fourth set to force a decider, where he then won four successive points to establish a 5-3 lead in the tie-break.

Shelton responded emphatically, turning the match around before sealing victory with a 146mph serve that Alcaraz could not return, sending the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd into celebration.

“I remember, the last tiebreak that I played was in Paris,” recalled Alcaraz. “It was an unbelievable game that I played in that moment. This time, when you are trying to fight and trying to overcome all the problems you might have – physically, tired a lot, obviously when he’s serving, he puts a lot of pressure on you.

“You’re thinking about, trying to put the return in, and it’s unknown if you’re going to play the point or he’s going to get a free point with the serve. I think in these moments he takes a lot of advantage with serve, but not any excuse, but I would say it’s an important weapon in these moments.”