Shelton reaches semis after beating Alcaraz in five-set epic

Shelton reaches semis after beating Alcaraz in five-set epic. Watch highlights from Ben Shelton's thrilling five-set win over Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open which finished at 03:34 local time.

What happened

"Zverev used that focus to win a second major championship and prevent a first Grand Slam title by an American man since 2003, beating Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday. 2 seed Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a. m. , the latest finish in U. Skip to main content Skip to navigation Zverev dashes American hopes, beats Shelton in US Open final for 2nd major10hShelton on Zverev's 2nd serve routine: 'Shouldn't have unlimited time'8hD'Arcy MaineRodman goes from soccer game to US Open final to watch Shelton10hRybakina defeats Sabalenka, wins first US Open title1dPlayers halting public protests as they seek bigger cut of revenues4hHarrison, Skupski win US Open men's doubles for 2nd Grand Slam title2dTownsend, Siniakova win US Open doubles, complete career GS as pair2dLook good, feel good, play good: Inside the US Open's exclusive salon6dAnthony GharibAgainst the odds: Elena Rybakina's unexpected US Open title1dD'Arcy MaineMatthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson and more lead celebrity sightings at the 2026 US Open2dESPN StaffplayAlexander Zverev captures first US Open title of his career (1:38)ESPN News ServicesMultiple AuthorsSep 13, 2026, 06:01 PM ETEmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsNEW YORK — Alexander Zverev knew what he was up against, playing a US Open final in a stadium full of people desperate to at last see another American champion.

He tuned out the screams for Ben Shelton for so long that he didn't even realize when he won, not hearing the chair umpire's announcement that the match was over. 1 seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, he capitalized on Shelton's shaky start in his first major final, played a nearly flawless tiebreaker on serve and then turned back a comeback attempt in front of a crowd that feverishly cheered Shelton on — including girlfriend Trinity Rodman, who made it from her own soccer match in Washington before the finish.

"Shelton was trying to win the first title by an American man since Andy Roddick won in Flushing Meadows in 2003, as well as become the first Black player to win the men's crown since Arthur Ashe in 1968. I've never felt anything like that before," Shelton said.

The wider picture

"You're one of the very best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year," Shelton told Zverev. He made the most of opportunities that came when Carlos Alcaraz had to sit out two majors and Sinner missed another, after they played in three straight Grand Slam finals in 2025. Shelton had already eliminated the defending champion when he beat No. The 23-year-old Shelton figures to get more chances, but Americans who have grown tired of waiting to celebrate a men's title wanted it now.

Shelton's early struggles and Zverev's style limit the crowd early Fans stood and screamed when Shelton emerged from the tunnel before the match, but he didn't give them any reason to keep the cheers going once play began. Zverev maintained that lead the rest of the set, which ended on another double-fault by Shelton. " Zverev turned back Shelton's chance to even the match in the tiebreaker. Shelton returned Zverev's opening serve long, was beaten by a superb passing shot and then came up on the wrong end of a 16-shot rally as Zverev went up 3-0.

What has been reported

Zverev then hit serves of 147 mph and 124 mph that Shelton couldn't get back in play. Shelton cut it to 5-2 and then got a return in play for the only time, but Zverev won the point and then hit another serve at 139 mph to close it out. Shelton kept fighting, at one point diving in an attempt to get a volley back, resting his head on his hands when he couldn't and then banging his hand to the court.

But with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and number of their teammates in attendance, Shelton couldn't pull off a championship comeback like those New York Knicks did in June. "In that moment I was in the zone, a lot," Zverev said. I was in this kind of tunnel where I just didn't hear anything. Zverev finally broke through in the majors by winning this year's French Open and followed up by adding the title in New York that he so painfully let slip away in 2020.

He became the fourth man in the Open era to win his first two major titles in the same year, joining Jimmy Connors (1974), Guillermo Vilas (1977) and Jannik Sinner (2024).

What happens next

9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I'm very sorry first of all," Zverev said during the trophy presentation. "But second, it was an incredible atmosphere to play in. Even though I know that the crowd was against me, the crowd was always incredibly fair. Walking out on that court today, there's nothing like it. But Zverev was too good in majors this year and apparently didn't even know how good he was. After hitting a serve winner, he dropped back behind the baseline as if set to return.

Zverev, who later explained he thought the score was 5-1, eventually did figure out he had won, raising his arms in celebration.