By Dwayne Ferreira.
Ben Shelton defeats defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic five-set US Open quarter-final to reach the semi-finals.
NEW YORK – Ben Shelton produced one of the biggest victories of his career by defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic five-set US Open quarter-final that stretched deep into the New York night.
The American battled past Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) in a gripping contest lasting four hours and 28 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Shelton recovered after narrowly losing the opening-set tiebreak, responding emphatically to dominate the second set 6-1 before moving ahead by taking the third 6-3.
Alcaraz, however, showed why he entered the tournament as defending champion. The Spaniard stormed back into the match with a commanding 6-1 fourth set, forcing a winner-takes-all decider.
Neither player was willing to give way in the fifth.
With the contest moving towards the early hours of Wednesday morning, Shelton held his nerve in the deciding tiebreak to complete a memorable victory and send the home crowd into celebration.
The match reportedly finished at approximately 3:34 a.m. local time, bringing an extraordinary night of tennis to a close.
Shelton Sets Up All-American Semi-Final
The victory sends Shelton into the US Open semi-finals, where he is scheduled to face fellow American Frances Tiafoe.
Tiafoe had earlier produced a remarkable comeback of his own, recovering from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6).
Shelton entered the Alcaraz encounter having never beaten the Spaniard in three previous meetings. He had reached the quarter-finals after an impressive straight-sets victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, continuing a strong 2026 campaign.
For Alcaraz, the defeat ends his defence of the US Open title following his return to competition after a lengthy injury absence.
