Ben Shelton dethrones Carlos Alcaraz in historic late-night US Open epic
American Ben Shelton defeated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarter-final thriller at Arthur Ashe Stadium, sealing the victory with a 146 mph ace at 3:34 a.m. local time in the latest finish in US Open history.
Shelton outlasted the Spaniard 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, and 7-6 (10-7) in a night-session match that stretched well into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
US open match at a glance
- Final Score: Ben Shelton def. Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7)
- Match Duration: 4 hours, 28 minutes
- Finish Time: 3:34 a.m. EDT
- Record Broken: Latest-ever finish at the US Open (previously 2:50 a.m.)
THE MOMENT BEN SHELTON BEAT CARLOS ALCARAZ IN THE LATEST FINISHING MATCH IN US OPEN HISTORY.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 9, 2026
3:33 in the morning.
But when you play the sport like that, you lose all sense of time.
Ben brought back his phone celebration 📞
It’s Big Ben time. 🇺🇸🥹 pic.twitter.com/GDjTROpH5f
Fifth-set battle into small hours
After Alcaraz dominated the fourth set 6-1 to force a decider, Shelton regrouped behind his powerful service game. Playing before a dedicated crowd that remained in Flushing Meadows, both players traded holds through a gruelling fifth set.
Alcaraz generated early pressure, opening up 0-30 leads on Shelton’s serve at 1-2 and 3-4, as well as a break point at 2-3. However, the 23-year-old American repeatedly erased the danger with clutch first serves and an overhead smash.
Carlos Alcaraz throwing up in his towel during his match against Ben Shelton at the U.S. Open.
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) September 9, 2026
It’s past 2 in the morning.
He's giving it his all. pic.twitter.com/hz6908jJPQ
Shelton created an opportunity of his own at 3-4, earning two break points with a backhand passing shot. Alcaraz saved the first following a deep slice error from Shelton and erased the second with a sprint to the net, eventually holding serve to level the set at 4-4 as the match crossed the four-hour mark.
At 2:50 a.m. local time, with the fifth set deadlocked at 2-3, the contest officially surpassed the previous tournament record for the latest finish, set when Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner in the 2022 quarter-finals.
High-stakes deciding tie-break
With neither player able to break serve, the match moved into a deciding 10-point tie-break at 6-6.
Shelton claimed an early mini-break to lead 2-1 before Alcaraz won both points on his serve to take a 4-3 lead. The Spaniard extended his advantage to 5-3 with a mini-break of his own, but a missed forehand allowed Shelton to level the score at 5-5 heading into the end-change.
Five sets of amazing.
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2026
What a show, Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz 👏 pic.twitter.com/n6Dyp2oeiT
From 6-6 in the tie-break, Shelton took control:
- 7-6: Shelton hit a 146 mph serve to hold.
- 8-6: A wide forehand from Alcaraz handed Shelton a crucial mini-break.
- 8-7: Alcaraz responded with a delicate volley winner to retrieve one mini-break.
- 9-7: Shelton held serve to set up match point.
- 10-7: Shelton closed out the match with a 146 mph ace down the T.
All-American semi-final
Shelton’s reward for securing his first victory over a top-three opponent is a semi-final date against compatriot Frances Tiafoe.
The 11th-seeded Tiafoe survived a thrilling five-set quarter-final against 22-year-old American Alex Michelsen, a match that felt like a lifetime ago by the time Shelton and Alcaraz walked off the court. Battling back from a daunting two-set deficit, Tiafoe fought for four hours and 40 minutes to complete the comeback, eventually prevailing 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6).
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