Ben Shelton ended Carlos Alcaraz's US Open title defence and secured an all-American semifinal against Frances Tiafoe. The left-hander won 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) after 4 hours and 28 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The contest began on Tuesday night, September 8, and finished at 3:33am on Wednesday, New York time. It was the latest finish in tournament history. Shelton sealed victory with a 146mph ace, approximately 235km/h.
The result brought two milestones: Shelton claimed his first victory over a Top 3 player and ended Alcaraz's 18-match Grand Slam winning streak. The American is through to his second career US Open semifinal, according to Roland-Garros' official review of the day.
Alcaraz was playing his first tournament after four and a half months out with a right wrist injury. In his interview published by the US Open, the Spaniard stressed the value of competing and finishing healthy. He also identified Shelton's serve as a decisive advantage in the fifth-set super-tiebreak, which the American won 10-7.
Tiafoe had already claimed the other semifinal place in this half by beating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6). Michelsen served for a straight-sets victory at 5-4 in the third set, but Tiafoe fought back and later recovered from 0-3 down in the fifth.
Friday's semifinal, on September 11, will bring the compatriots together again in New York. Shelton won their 2023 quarterfinal; this time, a place in the final is at stake. Tiafoe is seeking his first appearance in the title match after reaching the tournament's semifinals for a third time.
The official US Open videos show highlights of Shelton vs. Alcaraz and Tiafoe vs. Michelsen.
Sources: USOpen.org's reports on both quarterfinals and Alcaraz's interview, published September 8–9, 2026; Roland-Garros' review of the day, published September 9.