Ben Shelton delivered a career-defining victory at the US Open, beating Carlos Alcaraz for the first time in an epic five-set match. It was one of the finest performances of Shelton’s career and underlined the American’s status as one of the standout players at Flushing Meadows this season.

Shelton’s serve once again proved decisive against the world No. 3, allowing him to control key moments in a match that stretched deep into the tournament. Before this result, he had never defeated a player ranked inside the ATP top three, and the win also snapped a three-match losing streak against Alcaraz.

The result has made Shelton a strong favourite to go all the way on home soil, and it has added fresh weight to Rod Laver’s prediction from 2023. In that social media post, made when Shelton was only 20, Laver expressed confidence that the American would become a Grand Slam champion.

“ Shelton is the new player on the Tour. We’re going to see him winning a Slam,” said Laver, which now looks especially relevant with Shelton into the semi finals of the US Open.

Shelton is the second highest ranked player still in the draw, behind Alexander Zverev, and his next challenge is a semi-final meeting with compatriot Frances Tiafoe. Laver was also clear about what impressed him most in Shelton’s game, pointing to the serve, his left-handed power and his willingness to attack when openings appear.

“He’s got one of the biggest serves, a big left-hander, he doesn’t make many mistakes,” listed of Laver. “He sees and opening and he goes for it.”

Shelton has been close to a major breakthrough for several seasons. He has won two Masters titles, both at the Canadian Open, and has reached the latter stages of three of the four Grand Slams. He was a US Open semi-finalist in 2023, fell in the Australian Open semi finals in 2025, and also reached his best Wimbledon result in 2025, before losing to Sinner.

With Sinner and Novak Djokovic no longer in the US Open this year, Shelton now has a clear chance to chase the major title Laver foresaw years ago.

Ben Shelton’s US Open run took a major turn as he finally solved Carlos Alcaraz in their quarterfinal meeting in New York. Coming in, Shelton had lost all three of their previous matches and had managed just one set against the Spaniard. This time, he changed that pattern in emphatic fashion, winning in five sets to book a semifinal against compatriot Frances Tiafoe.

The result gives Shelton a real opening at a Slam he has looked increasingly dangerous in throughout the tournament. With Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic, and now Alcaraz all eliminated, the draw has opened in a way Shelton could hardly have imagined before the event began. He has been one of the standout performers at Flushing Meadows this year, and the opportunity now in front of him is the clearest he has had at Grand Slam level.

Rennae Stubbs was quick to highlight what she saw as a key difference in Shelton’s approach against Alcaraz. Writing on X, the Australian Grand Slam champion said: “The look in Ben’s face in the match was different. It was a look of complete focus, almost like he knew he couldnt get to excited when he was winning or had won points.

“We are so used to his excitement all the time, it was different last night,” she continued. “Destiny? Maybe…but what a match.”

Her only concern now is how Shelton will recover physically, after not leaving the court until close to 4am. “Finishing at 3:30am is bonkers and I hope like hell Ben can recover,” said Stubbs, while also defending the scheduling. “The question is, on this one, how could it have avoided? Every match went the distance! Sadly this is tennis for you. It was arguably the greatest match day in tennis history & to the crowd that stayed until 3:30am, bravo!”

Shelton’s semifinal against Tiafoe is set for Friday, 11th September, giving him an extra day to recover. He will also have an eye on Wednesday’s quarterfinals, where Alexander Zverev faces Botic van de Zandschulp and Karen Khachanov meets Alexander Blockx. Shelton and Zverev remain the top seeds left, but this tournament has already shown how quickly the picture can change.

Ben Shelton outlasted Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic US Open quarter-final that stretched deep into the early morning in New York. The match unfolded on Arthur Ashe Stadium and needed five sets before the American finally closed it out, securing one of the biggest wins of his career.

It was a contest that rarely looked settled, with both players finding spells of control before the balance shifted again. In the end, Shelton had enough firepower to move through to the US Open semi-finals for only the second time in his career, while Alcaraz fell short of defending his title.

Even with the defeat, Alcaraz leaves Flushing Meadows with positives. He arrived at the tournament carrying injury concerns, yet still produced a strong run. His mood after the loss reflected that view, and he spoke openly about wanting to turn the page and get back to work.

Speaking to Alex Corretja on Spanish television, Alcaraz said: “We’re leaving very happy; we’ve walked off the court smiling. It’s not pleasant to lose, but you have to see the positive side of matches like these.

“In the end, you play for matches like this one. I’m eager to get back home, to train, to compete, and in the end, this is what we’ve been missing, and getting back home healthy is the most important thing.”

Alcaraz’s next event is already set, and it will bring him back into contact with Shelton. He is confirmed for Team Europe at the Laver Cup, which will be staged at The O2 Arena in London from September 25 to 27.

That event will be Alcaraz’s first in the UK this year after wrist problems forced him out of Queen’s and Wimbledon. It will also mark his third Laver Cup appearance, with a 6-2 record in singles and doubles and 15 points earned for Team Europe from his previous two outings.