The search for a man to successfully defend the US Open title for the first time since 2008 goes on after Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2026 tournament.

Alcaraz arrived in New York as the defending champion after beating Jannik Sinner in four sets in last year’s final to claim his second trophy at Flushing Meadows. He had hoped to become the first man since 2008 to retain the crown, and his early progress suggested he was capable of doing so. After four smooth victories, plenty of observers backed the Spaniard to go deep, even with the obvious question mark over his preparation following a four-month absence from the ATP Tour because of a wrist injury.

In the end, Alcaraz was pushed to the limit by Ben Shelton in a late-night contest that became one of the defining matches of the event. The American prevailed 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7), with the match ending at 3:33am on Wednesday in New York.

The result means the long run without a repeat men’s champion at Flushing Meadows continues. Roger Federer remains the last man to defend the title successfully in 2008.

Federer won five straight titles in New York from 2004 to 2008 and then fell short in 2009, when he was denied in the final by Juan Martin del Potro, who captured his only Grand Slam title with a 3–6, 7–6 (7–5), 4–6, 7–6 (7–4), 6–2 victory.

Since then, every champion has failed to go back-to-back. Alcaraz’s defeat in 2026 simply adds another chapter to that pattern, with a new winner now certain to emerge in New York.

Carlos Alcaraz was candid after his 2026 US Open title defence came to a close with a dramatic five-set defeat to Ben Shelton.

The No 2 seed lost 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) to eighth seed Shelton in the quarter-finals at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The contest ran for four hours and 28 minutes and finished at 3:33am in New York, the latest ending in US Open history.

The result also snapped two impressive runs for Alcaraz. His 18-match winning streak at Grand Slams ended, as did his 12-match streak in matches decided by a fifth set.

After the match, the 23-year-old Spaniard described himself as “happy” and “proud.” He said, “Well, as I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play in these kinds of matches, for me, being healthy,” said the 23-year-old Spaniard.

He added, “So, it was close. It was close. So, I’m just a little bit disappointed about not getting the win, but I’m just happy. I’m just proud about myself, about how I fought.

“After the third set, physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up and physically give extra.

“In the fifth set, I just started to feel better and better. But I was playing against someone that is a beast. Shelton is an unbelievable player and powerful. He just managed how to play really well in every situation, so credit to him.

“But I leave the court happy. I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed.”

Alcaraz was later asked about the fifth-set tiebreak and said Shelton’s serve was decisive.

“Well, the serve is a really good weapon in these kind of situations. But sometimes you win, sometimes you lose,” said the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

He continued, “I remember the last [fifth set] tiebreak that I played was in Paris, it was an unbelievable game that I played during that moment.

“This time, when you’re trying to fight, and trying to overcome all the problems that you might have, physically tired a lot.

“And obviously, when he’s serving, he puts a lot of pressure on you. You’re thinking about trying to put the return in, and it’s an unkonwn that, if you’re gonna play the point or he’s gonna get a free point with the serve.

“So, I think in these moments, he takes a lot of advantage with the serve. Not any excuse, but I would say this is an important weapon in these moments.”

Carlos Alcaraz’s bid to defend his US Open crown ended in the quarter-finals after a demanding five-set defeat to Ben Shelton in a match that pushed deep into the early hours. The Spaniard, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, had returned to competition after a long spell away with a wrist injury and had looked sharp through his opening four matches, losing only one set on the way to the last eight.

Against Shelton, however, the challenge proved too steep. The American delivered a powerful performance under pressure and edged a 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) victory in a contest that made US Open history for the latest finish ever recorded at the tournament. The match ended at 3:33am, with Shelton claiming his first win over the Spaniard.

Shelton now moves on to meet Frances Tiafoe for a place in the 2026 US Open final, while Alcaraz’s tournament is complete. The result also has significant ranking consequences. Alcaraz earned the maximum 2,000 points for winning the 2025 US Open, but those points dropped off under the ATP’s rolling 52-week system before the 2026 event began.

He started the tournament on 7,160 points in the official standings and had fallen to 5,160 before adding fresh points through his wins in New York. A quarter-final appearance is worth 400 points, leaving him on 5,560 in the Live ATP Rankings, a loss of 1,600 points from his title defence.

There is still a measure of comfort for the two-time US Open champion. He is guaranteed to remain at No 3 after the event. Jannik Sinner will stay at No 1 with 11,500 points, while Alexander Zverev sits on 8,090 and could reach 9,690 with a title run. Shelton has climbed to No 4, although even a championship would leave him with a maximum of 5,380 points.

Alcaraz also passed the $5m mark in 2026 prize money, with his US Open quarter-final cheque taking his earnings for the year and career total higher again.