- Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling five-set quarterfinal.
- The marathon clash became one of the latest finishes in US Open history.
- Shelton advanced to the semifinals and ended Alcaraz’s title defence.
Ben Shelton produced the biggest win of his career at the 2026 US Open, stunning defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic five-set quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium and ending the Spaniard’s title defence.
The American prevailed 6-7(4), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7-10) in a marathon contest that lasted more than four hours and concluded at around 3:33 a.m. local time, making it the latest-finishing match in US Open history.
The result marked Shelton’s first career victory over a top-three opponent and sent him into the semi-finals, where he will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe in an all-American showdown.
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Shelton Ends Alcaraz’s Title Defence
Alcaraz reached the US Open tournament in New York City as the reigning champion and displayed good form throughout the competition despite having just returned from a serious wrist injury.
Alcaraz had not dropped a set prior to facing Shelton in the quarterfinals, having won all their previous three encounters. The official preview of the US Open had expressed wonder at the Spaniard's great performance against Shelton, but the American adapted his game to the conditions of the match.
Alcaraz managed to win the first set by tiebreak, but Shelton came back to seize the initiative. The American dominated the match in the second and third sets, helped by his powerful strikes and aggressive attack.
Alcaraz wouldn’t give up, though, as he went on to win the fourth set 6-1 and send the match into the deciding fifth set.
Dramatic Fifth Set Goes To The Wire
The final set became a battle of nerves as both players fought to keep their US Open campaigns alive.
Neither player was able to establish decisive control, sending the contest into a final-set tiebreak. Shelton eventually held his nerve when it mattered most, completing the upset with a 10-7 victory in the deciding breaker.
New US Open Record After Late-Night Marathon
The match achieved the rare feat of being recognized as one for the books because of its thrilling conclusion.
After the evening program was thrown off schedule, the quarterfinal match, which was much awaited, did not kick off till around 11 p.m. local time. It continued through Wednesday morning.
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Eventually, it broke the all-time record for the latest finish in the history of the US Open, which had been held by Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner, who completed their quarterfinal match in 2022 at about 2:50 a.m.
In other words, Shelton's victory in this match is a great achievement, as he was one of the semifinalists of the US Open in 2023.
Thus, he has managed to defeat the defending champion as well as one of the best players of his generation.