Ben Shelton, the current world number 5, is on the brink of history with a chance to be the first American to win the US Open Men’s Singles title since 2003. Andy Roddick was the last American to do so. However, German player Alexander Zverev is standing between Shelton and history.
Speaking in an interview shared by JioStar, Shelton said: “I’m ready to go. It’s going to be a war on Sunday. I’m going to leave it all on the court.”
The 23-year-old American further said, “Win or lose, obviously, I’m going to be proud of myself and what I’ve done, but this is the dream. This is what I’m playing for now. It’s right in front of me, and I’m definitely not going to take my foot off the gas. My team and I think about things long-term. We’re not looking for instant gratification.”
“I know I still have so much further to go as a tennis player and to become the best version of myself, but it is right there, one more match, and, like I said, I’ll leave everything on the court,” said Shelton
Overcame Big Challenges
Shelton had to battle for his spot.
He reached the US Open 2026 men’s singles final by getting past Frances Tiafoe in the semi-final. Earlier in the event, he produced another headline win by defeating Carlos Alcaraz in one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches.
The Tiafoe contest also tested his resolve. After losing the first set, Shelton came back to take the next three and secure his place in the final.
Shelton said: “Really happy to close it out the way I did in four sets. I definitely didn’t want to have five sets on my body going into the finals, but I thought I played a clean match.”
Fans Favourite
Shelton is expected to have the Arthur Ashe Stadium fans behind him when he meets Zverev. He said he will try to feed off the New York atmosphere in the final.
He said: “The crowd will certainly be loud, backing me. New York is such a cool sports city. There’s such a great sports culture here, and I think there’s a lot of American pride, so I’ll definitely be looking to use that and play the best match that I can.”
