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Ben Shelton Reaches US Open Final After Beating Tiafoe
Ben Shelton won a tennis match against Frances Tiafoe at the US Open.
Tiafoe won the first set, but Shelton won the next three.
The final score was 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
Shelton hit 20 aces, which are very fast serves that the other player cannot return.
This was Shelton’s first time reaching a Grand Slam final.
Earlier, he beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a very late quarterfinal.
Shelton will play Alexander Zverev in the final on Sunday.
An American man has not won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open.
Shelton now needs one more victory to end that wait.
Eighth-seeded Ben Shelton defeated 11th seed Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in Friday’s semifinal.
Shelton hit 20 aces and recovered after losing the opening set at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The 23-year-old American reached his first Grand Slam final after previously defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Top seed Alexander Zverev will face Shelton in Sunday’s US Open championship match.
Shelton is one victory away from becoming the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win a Grand Slam singles title.
- Who
- Ben Shelton defeated fellow American Frances Tiafoe; Alexander Zverev will be Shelton’s final opponent.
- What
- Shelton won the US Open semifinal in four sets and reached his first Grand Slam final.
- Where
- Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open in New York.
- When
- The semifinal was played Friday, with the final scheduled for Sunday; the reports were published September 12, 2026.
- Why
- Shelton overcame a first-set loss, won three straight sets, and broke Tiafoe in the final game to complete the comeback.
Key facts
- Semifinal score
- Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
- Shelton’s seed
- No. 8
- Tiafoe’s seed
- No. 11
- Aces
- 20 by Shelton
- Final opponent
- No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev
- Previous major result
- Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals.
- American title drought
- Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title, at the 2003 US Open.
Quotes
Alexander Zverev
German tennis player and U.S. Open finalist
“This is where we want to be: at the tail end of this tournament. This is both of our favorite tournament in the world, our favorite court in the world and to be able to light it up in front of (this crowd) is the best feeling that there is.”
deccanchronicle.com
“I'm going for it here, and I'm going to leave it all on the court. I hope you guys come and back me. Let's do it for the USA.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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