Archive · 12 Sep 2026
Ben Shelton Reaches US Open Final, Faces Alexander Zverev
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 serves that an opponent cannot return.
This was Shelton’s first 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.
Reports differ on whether this was Tiafoe’s first US Open semifinal or his third.
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 after beating Karen Khachanov in the other semifinal.
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.
- When
- The semifinal was played Friday, September 11, 2026, with the final scheduled for Sunday, September 13.
- Where
- Arthur Ashe Stadium at the US Open in New York.
- Why
- Shelton overcame a first-set loss, improved his serving, and broke Tiafoe in the final game to complete the comeback.
- Semifinal score
- Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5.
- Players’ seeds
- Shelton was No. 8; Tiafoe was No. 11.
- Shelton’s aces
- 20
- Final opponent
- No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany
- Quarterfinal result
- Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets; the match ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in US Open history.
- American title drought
- Andy Roddick was the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title, at the 2003 US Open.
- Reported semifinal-history discrepancy
- One report described Tiafoe as reaching his third US Open semifinal, while another called the match the first Grand Slam semifinal for both players.
Sources
Ben Shelton Beats Tiafoe, Reaches US Open Final
Ben Shelton Beats Frances Tiafoe To Reach US Open Final, Faces Alexander Zverev In Bid To End 23-Year US Men’s Grand Slam Wait | Watch
Ben Shelton beats Frances Tiafoe in four sets to reach maiden US Open final, to face Alexander Zverev
