Ben Shelton defeats Carlos Alcaraz in US Open quarter-final after epic five-set match
Consensus Summary
Ben Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a historic US Open quarter-final match that lasted four hours and 28 minutes, finishing at 3.33am local time on the 10th day of play. The match, which started on Tuesday night and finished on Wednesday morning, was the fifth-latest finish in grand slam history and ended Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak in grand slam tournaments. Shelton, seeded eighth, will now face Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals, ensuring at least one American representative in Sunday’s final. The match was marked by intense rallies, with Alcaraz vomiting before the final set and Shelton’s powerful serve and athleticism proving decisive. This victory is Shelton’s biggest career win, making him the first American to defeat Alcaraz at a major. The US Open has not seen an American men’s champion since Andy Roddick’s victory in 2003, adding significance to the potential title run for Shelton or Tiafoe.
✓ Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Ben Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a US Open quarter-final with a score of 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7)
- The match finished at 3.33am local time on the 10th day of play at the US Open
- The match lasted four hours and 28 minutes
- The match started on Tuesday night and finished on Wednesday morning
- Ben Shelton will play Frances Tiafoe in the 2023 US Open semi-finals
- The match was the fifth-latest finish in grand slam history
- Alcaraz had an 18-match winning streak in grand slam tournaments before this match
- Alcaraz played in the previous latest finish at Flushing Meadows in 2022, finishing at 2.50am in the quarter-finals
- Alcaraz won the 2023 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open
- Frances Tiafoe reached his third US Open semi-final by defeating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6)
- The US will have at least one representative in Sunday’s final
- The last American man to win the US Open was Andy Roddick in 2003
- Alcaraz vomited into a towel before the start of the final set
- Alcaraz had a four-and-a-half-month layoff to heal an injured wrist
- Shelton is 23 years old
- Shelton reached his third major semi-final, having gotten to the 2023 US Open final four and 2025 Australian Open
- Alcaraz was the defending champion and No 2 seed at the 2023 US Open
- Shelton defeated Alcaraz to become the first American to defeat him at a major
- Alex Michelsen, ranked 46th, fell to 0-6 in matches that went to a fifth set
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The match was the latest-ever finish at the US Open and the fifth-latest finish in grand slam history
- Shelton asked that his sister, Emma, be given the day off after watching the entire night and early morning
- Shelton had a 3-1 head-to-head edge over Tiafoe, including a win in the 2023 US Open quarter-final
- Shelton is 0-17 against top-three opponents and 9-24 against top-10 players
- Shelton’s serve topped out at 149mph and he won eight of nine points at the net in the first set
- Alcaraz had a 31-1 record at majors since the start of the 2025 French Open
- Alcaraz owns a 28-3 career record at the US Open, with a .903 winning percentage
- Shelton is 12-2 on hard courts this summer and won his second Masters 1000 title in Montreal
- The match started at 11.04pm local time
- The match was the 10th day of play at the US Open
- Alcaraz had a 14-match winning streak at grand slams before this match (not 18)
- Shelton’s serve reached 146mph in the final shot of the match
- Alcaraz had a 3-0 record against Shelton before this match
- Shelton will return to the top 10 for the first time in three years in the next rankings
- Tiafoe reached the final four at Flushing Meadows in 2022 and 2024
- Tiafoe lost to Alcaraz in 2022 and to Taylor Fritz in 2024
- Alcaraz won the Australian Open to start this year, not long before his injury in April
- Alcaraz had a 19-match winning streak at grand slams before this match (not 18)
- Shelton reached his third major semi-final, having gotten to the 2023 US Open final four and 2025 Australian Open
- Tiafoe joined Andre Agassi as the only American men to reach three US Open semis this century
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian states Alcaraz had an 18-match winning streak at grand slams, while THEWEST and 7NEWS say it was 19 matches
- The Guardian says Alcaraz had a 14-match winning streak at majors since the 2025 French Open, while THEWEST and 7NEWS do not mention this specific streak
- The Guardian mentions Shelton’s serve reached 146mph in the final shot, while THEWEST and 7NEWS mention a 235km/h serve (not in verified phrases list, so excluded from consensus)
- The Guardian states the match was the 10th day of play, but THEWEST and 7NEWS do not explicitly mention this detail
- THEWEST and 7NEWS mention Tiafoe reached the final four in 2022 and 2024, but the Guardian does not mention 2024
Source Articles
Ben Shelton wins a night of vomit, sweat and home hopes to triumph at US Open
The 23-year-old’s epic win over Carlos Alcaraz means there is a real chance of an American man winning the US Open for the first time since 2003 In yet another graveyard shift at the US Open, Ben Shelton showed he can hang around late, ousting defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in a quarter-final that started on Tuesday night and finished on Wednesday morning . When Shelton fired the final ball out wide for his seventh ace of the night, the clock on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court read
Carlos Alcaraz knocked out of US Open by local hope Ben Shelton after shooing cameras away in 3.33am epic
Carlos Alcaraz appeared to be sick into his towel towards the end of the four-and-a-half-hour marathon.
US Open 2026 quarter-final: Ben Shelton v Carlos Alcaraz – live updates
Shelton and Alcaraz meet for spot in US Open semis Tiafoe breaks Michelsen’s heart with epic comeback Reach out to Bryan on Bluesky or by email First set: Shelton 3-2 Alcaraz* (*denotes next server) An even breezier service game from Shelton, who holds to love. During the changeover, the cameras pan to a few of the celebrities in the audience. There’s Kevin Hart taking it in from a suite. And, of course, there’s USA and Washington Spirit forward Trinity Rodman, Shelton’s girlfriend, watching fro
Carlos Alcaraz knocked out of US Open by local hope Ben Shelton after shooing cameras away in 3.33am epic
Carlos Alcaraz appeared to be sick into his towel towards the end of the four-and-a-half-hour marathon.
Ben Shelton dethrones Carlos Alcaraz in five-set thriller after latest US Open finish
Winner claims 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) victory Epic quarter-final ends after 3.30am in New York As the official 10th day of play in New York moved deeper into the remote hours of the new morning, every passing game imbued Carlos Alcaraz with greater despair. From his focused start, Alcaraz’s intensity had flatlined and he could barely put a ball in court. He lost nine consecutive games against Ben Shelton and seemed to have nothing left. Instead, the defending champion improbably dragged
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