Sports · 11 September, 2026 · 2 min read
Ben Shelton Beats Defending Champion Carlos Alcaraz To Reach US Open Semifinals
Shelton defeated defending champion Alcaraz in five sets to reach US Open semifinals. Finished at 3:33 a.m., latest US Open finish in history.
Whether to foreground vomiting versus general match fitness.
9 of 12 outlets skipped it: shelton’s ace speed is stated.
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BBC
“But the 23-year-old's lack of match fitness appeared to finally catch up with him”Read the original ↗
One outlet uses a vivid symptom, others stress general fitness.
Shelton ends Alcaraz run
Ben Shelton beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set US Open quarter-final that ended at 3:33 a.m. in New York, winning 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) to reach the semifinals.
The match lasted 4 hours and 28 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium, where a large crowd stayed captivated deep into the night as the start was delayed until about 11pm in New York.
Shelton, the eighth seed, said, "That was a war, an epic match, so physical," after completing the victory.
Alcaraz’s title defence ended as his 18-match Grand Slam winning streak was stopped, with Shelton’s win setting up an all-American semifinal against Frances Tiafoe.
CBS News reported that Shelton next plays No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe, who reached the third US Open semifinal by beating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) on Tuesday.
Quotes and match details
Shelton’s victory came after Alcaraz returned to the US Open following more than four months out with a right wrist injury, and the BBC said the match unfolded over an unpredictable four hours and 28 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium.B
Alcaraz said, "It was close. So I'm just not going to be disappointed about not getting the win at the end," after leaving the court smiling and healthy.
CBS News described fans in Arthur Ashe Stadium chanting "USA! USA!" as Shelton benefited from a home-crowd boost even against the popular Alcaraz.
France 24 reported that Alcaraz and Shelton began their duel at 11:05 p.m. on Arthur Ashe Court, and it said Shelton forced Alcaraz to be sick with his towel during the match.
NBC News added that the fifth-set tiebreak ended with Shelton winning 10-7, while it also noted that Alcaraz could be seen vomiting into a towel at one point.N
Semifinal stakes and aftermath
With Shelton’s win, the US Open guaranteed an American men’s singles representative in Sunday’s final, as NBC News said the U.S. is guaranteed to have a representative in Sunday's final. NShelton’s quarter-final result also ended Alcaraz’s 18-match Grand Slam winning streak, and the BBC said it boosted home hopes of a first American men's singles champion in New York for 23 years. BOlympics.com reported that Shelton clinched the victory at 03:33 local time in New York City and that his win sets up an all-USA semi-final showdown with 11th seed Frances Tiafoe.
Shelton said, "It's always about the people in the crowd," and he added that the city of New York showed up "till 03:00" with USA chants until the end. CBS News said the semifinal will be Shelton vs Tiafoe, while it also reported that the tournament’s other quarterfinals went to match tiebreakers on a marathon day that started with Aryna Sabalenka edging Linda Noskova.