Ben Shelton stuns Carlos Alcaraz to reach U.S. Open semifinals

Former Florida star Ben Shelton pulled off the biggest win of his career late Tuesday night, stunning defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets to reach the semifinals.

Ninnth-ranked Shelton outlasted the world No. 3, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7), in a match that lasted 4 hours, 28 minutes and did not end until 3:33 a.m. ET. It was the latest-finishing match in U.S. Open history.

Alcaraz entered the match holding the edge against Shelton, claiming the previous three meetings. It became clear quickly that this match would not be like the others. Shelton is arguably playing his best tennis, and Alcaraz hasn’t been tested like this in nearly half a year after missing time with a wrist injury. Alcaraz was visibly winded by the end of the third set and got sick to his stomach later on.

Shelton never broke. He stuck to his game plan, dominated the forehand game and came up clutch in the final tiebreak.

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The Spaniard took the opening set in a tiebreak, but Shelton responded emphatically. He dominated the second set, 6-1, then took control of the match with a 6-3 third. Alcaraz answered with a 6-1 fourth to force a deciding set, setting up one of the most dramatic finishes of the tournament.

Neither player gave away much in the fifth, and the match eventually went to a 10-point tiebreak. Shelton held his nerve there, closing it out 10-7 to finish the upset and send Arthur Ashe Stadium into a frenzy.

“For me it’s always about the people in the crowd,” Shelton said. “Whether it’s my coaches, my team over there, my friends and family over here, or the city of New York tonight that showed up until 3 a.m. with ‘USA’ chants until the very end, that was what kept me going and that was what got me the win tonight.”

The win sends Shelton to his second career U.S. Open semifinal and his first since his breakthrough run in 2023. Waiting for him is another American, Frances Tiafoe, who came back from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen in five sets earlier Tuesday.

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