Ben Shelton beats Frances Tiafoe in four sets to reach maiden US Open final, to face Alexander Zverev
Ben Shelton reached his first Grand Slam final after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the 2026 US Open men’s singles semi-final at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Friday.
The eighth-seeded Shelton recovered from losing the opening set to beat 11th seed Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 and book his place in Sunday’s championship match. The victory also secured Shelton’s second US Open final-four appearance, after he reached the semi-finals in 2023.
Shelton entered the semi-final after producing one of the tournament’s notable results in the quarter-finals, where he defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets.
The American had won 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) in a match that finished at 3:33 a.m. local time, the latest finish in US Open history. Shelton closed out that match with a 146 mph ace.
The victory over Alcaraz was Shelton’s first win against a top-three opponent after he had lost his previous 17 matches against players ranked inside the top three. It also made him the first American man to defeat Alcaraz at a Grand Slam. Alcaraz had entered the quarterfinal with a 13-0 record against American opponents at the majors.
Shelton had already defeated three former top-10 players during his run to the semi-finals: Hubert Hurkacz, Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas. His fourth-round victory over Tsitsipas was completed in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.
Shelton extends US Open record against Tiafoe
The semi-final against Tiafoe was the fifth meeting between the two Americans, with Shelton entering the match leading their overall head-to-head 3-1.
They had split their previous two meetings at the US Open, with Shelton winning their 2023 quarter-final and Tiafoe taking their 2024 third-round encounter.
Tiafoe had reached the semi-finals after defeating Alex Michelsen in a five-set quarter-final. The 11th seed came back from two sets down and a 3-0 deficit in the fifth set before winning 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6). The victory sent Tiafoe into his third US Open semi-final, following his appearances in 2022 and 2024.
Shelton’s run to the final continues a strong 2026 season. He entered the US Open after winning the Canadian Open in Montreal, his fourth singles title of the season. The tournament was his seventh ATP singles title.
Shelton will face top seed Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final. Zverev reached the championship match after defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in the other semi-final. It will be Shelton’s first Grand Slam final, while Zverev will contest his third consecutive Grand Slam final and his second US Open final.
The 2026 US Open will therefore have a new men’s singles champion, with defending champion Alcaraz eliminated by Shelton in the quarterfinals.