Ben Shelton beats Carlos Alcaraz in five-set US Open quarterfinal ending at 3:33 AM

Record finish in New York

Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets with a 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 result in the US Open quarterfinals. The encounter concluded at 3:33 AM on Wednesday morning after 4 hours and 28 minutes of play, marking the latest finish in tournament history. The previous record was set in 2022 when Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in a match that ended at 2:50 AM. Shelton secured the victory on his final match point in the super tiebreak at 10-7, closing out the contest with a serve recorded between 235 and 238 km/h.

Physical toll and performance

The loss ended Alcaraz's 18-match winning streak across Grand Slam tournaments, which included his titles at the 2025 US Open and the 2026 Australian Open. Alcaraz was competing in New York after 139 days away from competitive play because of a right wrist injury suffered in April. During the match, Alcaraz suffered visible physical exhaustion and vomited into a towel during a changeover. Shelton forced baseline exchanges and capitalized on 53 unforced errors from Alcaraz, including 31 off the forehand, while committing 34 unforced errors himself. Alcaraz hit 38 winners to Shelton's 35.

Carlos Alcaraz53

Ben Shelton34

Carlos Alcaraz

53

Ben Shelton

34

Data from the article text

Alcaraz acknowledged the intensity of the encounter following his elimination.

“It was a close match. So I'm not disappointed not to have won in the end. I'm just proud of myself, of the way I fought. After the third set I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself further.”

All-American semifinal pairing

The victory is Shelton's first career win over Alcaraz after three prior losses, as well as his first win against a top-three ranked opponent in 18 attempts. Shelton, ranked ninth in the world, advanced to his second career US Open semifinal and third Grand Slam semifinal overall. He faces compatriot Frances Tiafoe on Friday, guaranteeing that an American player will reach the men's singles final for the first time since Andy Roddick won the title in 2003. Tiafoe reached the semifinal after coming back from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 in 4 hours and 38 minutes.

Shelton credited the spectators inside Arthur Ashe Stadium for sustaining his energy through the late finish.

“For me, the most important thing is always the people in the crowd. Whether it was my coaches, my team, my friends and family here, or the city of New York that showed up tonight until 3 AM with chants for the USA until the end, that gave me the strength to keep going and win tonight.”

Scheduling scrutiny and format proposals

The match started at approximately 23:30 on Tuesday night following extended daytime and evening sessions on Arthur Ashe Stadium. The day program included a three-set match between Aryna Sabalenka and Linda Noskova lasting 2 hours and 22 minutes, followed by Tiafoe's five-set marathon. Stadium organizers then had to clear 23,771 daytime spectators and clean the stands before admitting evening ticketholders, where Jessica Pegula defeated Emma Navarro in 2 hours and 21 minutes. The resulting delays renewed discussions regarding late-night matches and player recovery in professional tennis. Following the scheduling backlog, Tennis Australia chief executive Andrew Abdo commented on potential format adjustments for Grand Slam tournaments.

“In the future, in Grand Slam tournaments, depending on the number of rounds or the duration, it might no longer be played best of five sets for the entire tournament.”