September 12, 2026
Ben Shelton is into a Grand Slam final for the first time after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5, in the 2026 US Open semifinals on Friday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The top-ranked American man will play top-seeded Alexander Zverev for the title on Sunday.
The No. 8 seed also became the first Black American man to reach a US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
Shelton is dialed in, alright, and we’re talking about much more than just his signature on-court celebration.
Even after his prior match ended well after 12:00 a.m., the American's dream of winning a Grand Slam title hasn’t struck midnight just yet, and on Sunday, he will attempt to finally bring a men's major singles title back to the United States.
The 23-year-old Shelton, after knocking out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the early hours of Wednesday morning, was none the worse for wear on Friday night as he came back from a set down in defeating No. 11 seed Tiafoe in four sets.
Shelton will attempt to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open on Sunday when he takes on Zverev, who defeated Karen Khachanov in the first semifinal of the day.
