Shelton Stuns Alcaraz at 3:33am in Latest-Ever US Open Finish

Ben Shelton upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in a quarter-final that set the record for the latest US Open finish ever.

Ben Shelton, the eighth seed, defeated defending champion and world number three Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in the US Open quarter-finals, capping the victory with a 146 mph ace at 3:33 a.m. local time. The match lasted four hours and 28 minutes and began around 11:05 p.m. on Arthur Ashe Stadium, delayed by two earlier five-set quarter-finals. Shelton sealed the win in a 10-point match tie-break, ending Alcaraz's title defence in his first tournament back from a lengthy injury layoff.

Shelton had lost all 17 of his previous matches against top-three players and had never beaten Alcaraz in three prior attempts, making this comfortably the biggest win of his career. It snapped Alcaraz's 18-match unbeaten streak at Grand Slam tournaments, which included his 2025 US Open title and this year's Australian Open crown. According to Hindusthan Samachar, Alcaraz also carried a 13-0 record against American men in Grand Slam play that Shelton ended. The win kept alive hopes of a first American men's champion in New York since Andy Roddick in 2003.

The 3:33 a.m. finish set the record for the latest-ending match in US Open history by more than 40 minutes. The previous mark was 2:50 a.m., set by Alcaraz himself when he outlasted Jannik Sinner in the 2022 quarter-finals, and before that the record was 2:26 a.m. The late start was triggered when the Tiafoe-Michelsen and Pegula-Navarro matches both went the distance, pushing Shelton and Alcaraz onto court well past their scheduled slot. For comparison, Wimbledon's 11 p.m. curfew would have prevented such a match entirely — a point Sporting News highlighted via a note that the latest Wimbledon finish, Murray-Baghdatis in 2012, ended at 11:02 p.m.

Alcaraz edged the opening set on a tie-break after surrendering a break for a 6-5 lead. Shelton then ripped off nine unanswered games to take the second set 6-1 and the third 6-3. A visibly fatigued Alcaraz — who was sick into his towel during a changeover — stormed back to win the fourth 6-1, forcing a decider. After both players squandered break-point chances, the match swung to a 10-point tie-break: Shelton led 3-1, Alcaraz regained control at 5-3, but Alcaraz's 53 unforced errors proved costly as Shelton captured five of the next six points before sealing victory with an ace. The New York Times described the contest as a heavyweight fight, noting Shelton rallied after three chances to serve out the match went begging.

Shelton's victory guarantees an American finalist in the men's singles for the first time since Roddick won in 2003, ending a 23-year drought in sight. He advanced to his third Grand Slam semi-final, having previously fallen to eventual champions Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open and Novak Djokovic at the 2023 US Open. With Alcaraz gone, Shelton is the second-highest ranked player left in the draw behind world number two Alexander Zverev. The Spaniard, a seven-time major winner, was denied a chance to become the first man since Roger Federer to defend the US Open crown and had reached the last eight despite more than four months out with a wrist injury.

Shelton now meets eleventh seed Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semi-final on Friday, with Shelton holding a 3-1 head-to-head edge and both men chasing their first major final. Tiafoe earned his spot with a five-set comeback over Alex Michelsen, rallying from two sets and a break down in a match lasting four hours and 38 minutes. Fatigue and recovery are the immediate questions for Shelton after such a late finish, though he credited the New York crowd — chanting 'USA' past 3 a.m. — for keeping him going. On the women's side, two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka survived Linda Noskova 7-6 (7-1), 3-6, 7-6 (10-7) and will face third seed Jessica Pegula, who beat Emma Navarro, in the semi-finals.