Shelton closes out thrilling Day 10 with Alcaraz upset
It was one of those days that reminded fans why they love tennis.
13 hours and 50 minutes of sheer battle that started with Aryna Sabalenka keeping her hopes of a US Open threepeat alive by edging past Linda Noskova in a final-set tiebreak, and concluded with Ben Shelton ending the title defence of Carlos Alcaraz, also in a final-set tiebreak.
The Shelton-Alcaraz extravaganza wrapped up at 3:33am, which is the latest finish in US Open history, and it saw the American claim his first-ever win against a top-three player on his 18th attempt.
Firing a 146mph ace on match point, Ben Shelton punched his ticket to a second career US Open semi-final with a 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10/7) victory that snapped Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak at Grand Slam level.
“I'm tired. You know, that was a war, epic match, so physical,” said the eighth-seeded Shelton.
“Carlos is one of the greatest champions in our sport already at 23 years old. It's always fun being on the court against him. It's ridiculous some of the stuff he comes up with sometimes.
“But, yeah, the most enjoyable match that I've had in my career, for sure.”
Alcaraz was playing his first tournament since April, having been sidelined with a wrist injury. He limited the big-serving Shelton to just seven aces throughout the four-hour 28-minute match and hit more winners than the American – 38 to Shelton’s 34 – but committed a costly 53 unforced errors along the way.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion can only take positives though from his comeback tournament.
“My expectation was to go there, compete, play in these kind of matches being healthy,” said the second-seeded Alcaraz, who was talking to the press outside the locker room just shy of 4:00am.
“It was close. It was close. So I'm just not going to be disappointed about not getting the win at the end. You know, I'm just happy. I'm just proud about myself, about how I fought.
“After the third set, physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up and physically giving extra.
“In the fifth set I just started to feel better and better, but you know, I was playing against one of the… he is a beast. Shelton is an unbelievable player, powerful. He just managed to play really, really well in every situation, so credit to him.
“But, I leave the court happy. I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed.”
Shelton will take on his good friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who rallied back from two sets and a break down, to overcome 22-year-old Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10/6).
Michelsen, who was contesting his first Grand Slam quarter-final, served for the win at 5-4 in the third, and was two points away from a ticket to the semis at 5-4 in the fifth but couldn’t close as Tiafoe found a way to sneak back into the match.
“The moment is huge. Can't downplay it at all. I've won a lot of great matches here; I've lost a lot of tough matches here as well. It feels amazing to get this done,” said Tiafoe, who is through to his third US Open semi-final from his last five appearances.
“And the way it happened, right? Two sets to love down, him serving for it, I'm down breaks early in the fifth. There were so many times where I was down. I could have been down a double break in the third.
“It was crazy. I mean, it was definitely a Braveheart-type win. It ranks pretty high in probably all-time wins in a Slam.”
The match can be remembered for many things but nothing more than the hug the two players shared at the end.
Before going into full celebration mode in front of a packed Arthur Ashe stadium, Tiafoe rushed to embrace Michelsen, who broke down in tears on his opponent’s shoulder as soon as he heard the consoling words coming out of his mouth.
“As soon as I hugged him, I was seeing he was crying already. I was like, ‘Man I know, I’ve been there’. I’ve been there twice to be fair, lost in five. Obviously I wasn’t serving for the match to make semis but he’s young and he hasn’t been there,” Tiafoe told ESPN.
“We’re super tight. We’ve always had a great relationship, we laugh and joke all the time, he’s one of my good buddies on tour. I know how much that hurts. I know how much he wanted it today. It’s something that you dream about. I just told him, ‘Bro, I know but you’re going to be here so many more times, man and I’m going to be in a rocking chair when you do so.”
Tiafoe admits he came out flat and waited for the last possible moment before he found a way to up his level and find some extra energy to turn things around.
“It's tennis, man. You see a little opening window, you see turning points. One point can, all of a sudden you're, four hours later, in a battle just because of one point. Tennis is a unique sport like that,” said the 28-year-old who leads the tour with 28 hard-court wins this season.
Michelsen was understandably gutted after coming so close to a maiden major semi-final.
“I wasn't saying much. I was trying to keep it together, and I didn't do a good job of that. He was saying a lot of nice personal things,” said the world No.46, reflecting on that heartwarming embrace.
“You'll be there. When I'm older, you're going to be here, and we're going to play again in this type of circumstance. All that good stuff.
“He's a great guy for consoling me in that moment.”
For a third straight year, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula will square off at the US Open.
The world No.1 beat Pegula in the final in 2024 and the semi-finals last year and will have to do it again if she wants to claim a third consecutive US Open title.
Like the men, Sabalenka, too, had to go through a deciding breaker to secure passage to the final four.
The top seed slammed down a second-serve ace to complete a 7-6(1), 3-6, 7-6(10/7) victory over reigning Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova to reach a sixth consecutive US Open semi-final.
Sabalenka might lose her No.1 ranking if Elena Rybakina reaches the semi-finals, or if she doesn’t defend her title but is very clear on her priorities in New York.
“Three-peat. Sounds great,” said Sabalenka with a smile, assuring she’d be “more than happy” if she claimed a fifth Grand Slam trophy but lost her top ranking.
Meanwhile, Pegula, who also has a chance of rising to world No.1, made her fourth career major semi-final and third straight at her home Slam with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over fellow American Emma Navarro.
Pegula had to wait for a long time to get on court after the lengthy battles won by Sabalenka and Tiafoe, and was watching patiently in the locker room.
“I think the way Foe was able to handle that has just shown how much better he's been competing this year, and I think probably a lot of the tough matches he's had to get through this whole summer and this year paid off probably for that moment,” she said of Tiafoe’s victory.
“Just seeing Alex hug him at the end, I started crying in the locker room. It was so heartbreaking. My heart hurt so much.
“It's crazy. I told my coach, like, you can have two totally different experiences. Like Foe is having the best day of his life, and then Alex is having just the worst moment of his life. That's just tennis. It's so tough, but it was an amazing match.”
ROLAND-GARROS
17 May - 6 June 2027
