Ben Shelton has a chance to end America’s 23-year wait for a men’s Grand Slam champion after reaching the US Open 2026 final with a four-set win over Frances Tiafoe.
New York: American tennis star Ben Shelton has created history at the US Open 2026. The 23-year-old Shelton defeated fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in a thrilling four-set all-American semifinal to reach his first-ever Grand Slam final. With this victory, Shelton is now just one win away from ending the long wait in American men’s tennis. He will face top-seeded German player Alexander Zverev in the final.
The match was significant because it marked a rare US Open men’s singles semifinal between two American players. The contest lasted nearly three hours, and Shelton’s ability to turn the match around after losing the opening set highlighted both his mental resilience and aggressive style of play.
Tiafoe Takes the Lead in the First Set
The match at Arthur Ashe Stadium began in Tiafoe’s favour. He took advantage of Shelton’s mistakes in the opening set and won it 6-4. After taking the early lead, Tiafoe had an opportunity to strengthen his grip on the match, but Shelton changed his strategy from the second set.
Shelton increased his reliance on his serve and aggressive baseline game. He gave Tiafoe few opportunities to make a comeback in the second set and levelled the match by winning it 6-3. Shelton then continued to maintain pressure in the third set and took a 6-3 lead.
Tiafoe Offers Strong Challenge in the Fourth Set
The fourth set was extremely important for both players. Tiafoe tried everything to take the match into a fifth set, but Shelton remained composed at crucial moments. By winning the fourth set 7-5, Shelton secured the biggest victory of his career.
A double fault by Tiafoe during the decisive stage of the match also helped bring Shelton closer to victory. Shelton did not miss the opportunity and secured his place in the final. After the match ended, the two American players hugged each other at the net.
Chance to Win Title After 23 Years
The biggest significance of Shelton’s victory is linked to American men’s tennis. The last time an American player won the US Open men’s singles title was in 2003, when Andy Roddick became champion. Shelton now has an opportunity to end that long wait.
If Shelton wins the final, he will become the first American male player since 2003 to win a Grand Slam men’s singles title. The wait for an American men’s champion at the US Open has also continued since Roddick’s victory.
There is another historic aspect to Shelton’s achievement. He has become the first Black American male player since Arthur Ashe in 1972 to reach the US Open men’s singles final. In terms of a men’s singles final at any Grand Slam, MaliVai Washington was the previous player from this group to achieve the feat, in 1996.
Shelton Overcomes Tiafoe After Defeating Alcaraz
Shelton’s US Open campaign this year has been challenging from the beginning. On his way to the semifinals, he defeated several strong players, including former top-10 player Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov, as well as Stefanos Tsitsipas.
In the quarterfinal, he defeated defending champion and two-time US Open winner Carlos Alcaraz in an extremely tough five-set match. The contest ended early Wednesday morning, after which Shelton had two days to prepare for the semifinal against Tiafoe.
The victory was particularly important for Shelton because defeating Alcaraz had given his confidence a major boost. He had already won the title in Montreal this year, making it his fourth tour title of 2026.
Tiafoe Reaches His Third US Open Semifinal
The defeat was certainly disappointing for Frances Tiafoe, but his US Open campaign was once again impressive. The 28-year-old Tiafoe had reached the US Open semifinals for the third time. He had previously reached the last four in 2022 and 2024. With this achievement, he equalled Andre Agassi for the most US Open men’s singles semifinal appearances by an American player in this century.
Tiafoe had made a dramatic comeback against Alex Michelsen in the quarterfinal. He was two sets down and had also found himself in a difficult position in the deciding set, but he fought back to win and reach the semifinals.
Despite losing to Shelton, Tiafoe’s 2026 US Open campaign will remain among his strong performances of the season. According to reports, following this performance, he is set to reach a new career-high ranking of world No. 8.
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Emotional Moment on the 9/11 Anniversary
The semifinal between Shelton and Tiafoe was played on an emotional day for the United States. September 11 marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the country. After the match, Shelton also mentioned the day and remembered his late grandmother during his emotional address. For the spectators in New York, the match was more than just a tennis contest and became a moment filled with several emotions.
Clash With World No. 1 Zverev in the Final
Shelton’s biggest challenge now is Alexander Zverev. The top-seeded German defeated Russia’s Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) in the second semifinal to reach the final. This will be Zverev’s second US Open final.
Zverev has already won the French Open title in 2026 and also reached the Wimbledon final this year. Therefore, he will enter the contest with more Grand Slam experience than Shelton.
Shelton and Zverev have faced each other five times so far, and the American has not won a single match against him. Therefore, the US Open final will not only be Shelton’s first Grand Slam final but will also present him with the challenge of changing his record against Zverev.
A Big Opportunity for American Tennis
Shelton’s place in the men’s final of the US Open 2026 is an important achievement for American tennis. On one hand, the country now has hopes of getting its first men’s Grand Slam champion in 23 years, while on the other, Shelton has an opportunity to achieve the biggest milestone of his career so far.
At 23, Shelton has made his way to the final after going through a series of difficult matches at the tournament. Now, the title clash against Zverev on Sunday, September 13, will decide whether his historic campaign ends with the US Open trophy or whether he returns as the runner-up. For now, one thing is certain: by defeating Tiafoe, Shelton has taken American men’s tennis to a stage it has not reached in a long time, with a Grand Slam title now just one win away.
