The 2026 US Open delivered a historic semi-final night at Arthur Ashe Stadium, as 23-year-old American Ben Shelton fought back from an opening set deficit to defeat close friend and compatriot Frances Tiafoe in four dramatic sets, booking a spot in his first ever Grand Slam singles final. The all-American clash, which stretched to three hours and 17 minutes, ended with a 4-6 6-3 6-3 7-5 scoreline, capping an evening of high-octane tennis that lived up to the venue’s electric atmosphere.
Both Shelton, the tournament’s eighth seed, and 11th seed Tiafoe entered the match chasing their first appearance in a major singles final, and they did not disappoint the sold-out, raucous crowd. The two players combined for 74 total winners, with Shelton leading the charge with 47 powerful winners and 20 booming aces. After dropping the first set, Shelton quickly found his rhythm, breaking Tiafoe early in the second set to seize momentum. He maintained his aggressive play through the third set, which featured a series of scintillating, extended rallies – including a 31-shot exchange that Tiafoe won, and a 28-shot rally that ended with a Shelton winner to secure a critical break. After a grueling 15-minute game gave Shelton a two-sets-to-one lead, a refreshed Tiafoe mounted an early fourth-set comeback but squandered two early break chances. At 6-5, Shelton earned three match points, and closed out the win when Tiafoe hit a double fault on the second match point.
With the victory, Shelton enters the history books: he is the first Black American male player to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe himself in 1972, and the first Black man to reach any Grand Slam singles final since Jo-Wilfried Tsonga’s 2008 Australian Open final run. He is also vying to become the first American man to claim the US Open singles title since Andy Roddick’s 2003 victory – ending a 23-year major title drought for American men in singles. Only six American men have reached a Grand Slam final since Roddick’s win, most recently Taylor Fritz at the 2024 US Open.
In an emotional on-court interview after the win, Shelton reflected on the personal and historic weight of the moment, paying tribute to his late grandmother, who passed away earlier this year. “It’s a lot of emotion. My mum and dad sacrificed a lot for me to be in this position today,” he said. “My dad lost his mum earlier this year. She’s the reason he was able to play tennis. Without her there’s no Ben Shelton standing here today. This one is for her.” He also honored the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, and called on the home crowd to support him in the final. Speaking of his friendship with Tiafoe, whom he described as a “big brother” to him, Shelton added that facing his close friend at their favorite tournament made the run even more special. “This is both of our favourite tournament, our favourite court in the world and to be able to light it up in front of you guys [the crowd] is the best feeling there is,” he said.
Shelton will face world top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in Sunday’s championship match, after Zverev defeated unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov in three straight sets to secure his spot. Zverev’s 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6) win marks his third consecutive Grand Slam final appearance, extending a sensational 2026 season that already includes a French Open title – his first major trophy – and a Wimbledon final finish against world No. 1 Jannik Sinner. Zverev has now reached the semi-finals of all four Grand Slams this year, and is chasing his second major title of the season.
The German star got off to a slow start at this year’s US Open, being pushed to five-set thrillers in his opening two matches, but has not dropped a set since advancing to the third round. He faced scattered pressure from Khachanov, saving two set points in the third-set tie-break to close out the win. Zverev joked after the match that a lighthearted moment with his team helped turn his tournament around. “After the second round, at about 3am I was sitting with my team in the locker room and we were laughing at how bad I was playing,” he said. “That sense of humour helped me. I obviously have improved a bit otherwise I would not be in the US Open final.” Sunday’s final will be Zverev’s second US Open final appearance, 6 years after his five-set loss to Dominic Thiem in the 2020 championship match.
While Shelton enters the final as the home crowd favorite, he faces a tough statistical hurdle: he has lost all five of his previous career matches against Zverev. Buoyed by a stunning upset victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals, and the full-throated support of the New York crowd, Shelton said he is ready to leave everything on the court to make history. “I’m going to need you guys on Sunday to bring the energy,” he told the crowd. “I’m going to leave it all on the court and I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do this for the USA.”