Shelton Advances to First Grand Slam Final
Friday, September 11, 2026 | Men's Tennis
Former Gator advances to first Grand Slam final, defeating No. 11 Frances Tiafoe in four sets
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- Former Florida men's tennis standout Ben Shelton defeated No. 11 Frances Tiafoe in the US Open semifinals Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, advancing to the first Grand Slam final of his career with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory.
With the win, Shelton becomes the first Florida men's tennis alum to reach a Grand Slam final, surpassing his previous career-best Grand Slam finishes reaching the semifinals.
The former Gator will now look to become the first American man to win the US Open men's singles competition since Andy Roddick claimed the title in 2003. The 23-year-old is now the youngest American man to reach the finals since Roddick did so in 2003 as a 21-year-old. With a win in the final, Shelton would become the first former college player, man or woman, to capture a Grand Slam singles title since 1984.
Shelton becomes the first Black American man to compete in a US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, doing so on the court named in Ashe's honor.
In the opening set, both players held their serve comfortably until Tiafoe broke Shelton in the ninth game, capitalizing on a double fault by his opponent to take the first set 6-4.
Shelton jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second set before Tiafoe quickly evened the score. The former Gator regained control later in the set, winning three consecutive games to take the second, 6-3.
The third set was highlighted by a 15-minute game that included four set points, making it the longest game of the 2026 US Open thus far. Shelton eventually broke Tiafoe's serve to close the set, 6-3, moving within one set of his first Grand Slam final.
In the final set of the match, Tiafoe struggled to handle Shelton's powerful serve, propelling Shelton to a 2-1 lead. The top-ranked American continued to apply pressure from the service line, recording 20 aces, his most in a match at the 2026 US Open. Tiafoe battled back to even the set up at 5-5, but Shelton quickly bounced back to take a 6-5 lead. A double fault by Tiafoe sealed the 7-5 victory for Shelton.
Heading into the semifinal, both Shelton and Tiafoe were seeking their first Grand Slam final appearance. Shelton entered the match after earning the biggest win of his career, defeating No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in the quarterfinals.
With the victory, Shelton improves to 4-1 all-time against Tiafoe. The semifinal marked Tiafoe's third appearance in the US Open semifinals in the past five years. It was also just the third all-American men's singles semifinal at a Grand Slam this century, with both players entering the match following five-set quarterfinal victories.
"It's a lot of emotion. My dad and my mom have sacrificed a lot to be in this position today," said Shelton. "My dad lost his mom earlier this year, and she's the reason that he was able to play tennis. Without her, there's no Ben Shelton standing her today. This one is for her."
Shelton will face No. 1 Alexander Zverev on Sunday seeking his fifth title of the year and his first Grand Slam title of his career. Shelton is 0-5 against the German, facing each other four times in 2025 on various courts. The two have never faced each other in a Grand Slam before.
Ben Shelton's US Open Results
|
Round |
W/L |
Opponent |
Match Score |
|
128 |
W |
T. Griekspoor |
1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 |
|
64 |
W |
H. Hurkacz |
6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5 |
|
32 |
W |
D. Shapovalov |
7-6(3), 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4 |
|
16 |
W |
S. Tsitsipas |
6-2, 6-3, 6-4 |
|
Quarterfinals |
W |
C. Alcaraz |
6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) |
|
Semifinals |
W |
F. Tiafoe |
4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 |
