US Open 2026: Ben Shelton Dethrones Carlos Alcaraz In Late-Night Marathon To Set Up Semifinal Against Frances Tiafoe

Ben Shelton ended Carlos Alcaraz’s title reign in the latest-finishing match in U.S. Open history, winning 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m. on Wednesday.

The result also guarantees the U.S. a man in Sunday’s final. The U.S. is now one win away from its first men’s major title since Andy Roddick in 2003.

Shelton’s five-set win came after a draining contest that swung sharply both ways. It stopped Alcaraz’s run and sent Shelton into another major semifinal on a day when the tournament stretched deep into the night.

Marathon Quarterfinal Match

The match lasted 4 hours and 28 minutes. It ended in a deciding match tiebreak after Shelton held off Alcaraz’s late surge to close out one of the longest nights the tournament has seen.

The defeat halted Alcaraz's 18-match major winning streak. Shelton took command early in the second set, sweeping nine consecutive games to build a 3-0 advantage in the third. The result forces the Spaniard to wait for his next Grand Slam title.

Alcaraz refused to surrender quietly. Competing in his first event since April following a right wrist injury, the Spaniard pushed the contest into a decider despite vomiting before the fifth set began.

Also Read: US Open 2026: Frances Tiafoe Mounts Epic Five-Set Comeback Against Alex Michelsen To Reach US Open Semifinals

Tiafoe Awaits Shelton

Next comes an all-American semifinal. Shelton will play No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe for a place in Sunday’s final.

Tiafoe reached his third U.S. Open semifinal after beating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) on Tuesday. He kept coming back after dropping the first two sets.

That sets up a big chance for U.S. men’s tennis. With Shelton and Tiafoe on the same side of the draw, the host nation is certain to have a finalist.

Open History Context

Alcaraz had also featured in the previous latest finish at the U.S. Open. He beat Jannik Sinner in a quarterfinal that ended at 2:50 a.m. in 2022, a run that led to his first Grand Slam title at 19.

Shelton is now into his third major semifinal. He had earlier reached the final four at the 2023 U.S. Open and the 2025 Australian Open.

Deciding tiebreaks dominated the quarterfinal schedule. Three out of four singles fixtures required a final tiebreaker during the exhausting day of play. Proceedings opened earlier when Aryna Sabalenka narrowly beat Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, maintaining her push for a third straight U.S. Open title.