Shelton beats Tiafoe, reaches US Open final vs Zverev — SkimNews
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- Ben Shelton rallied after dropping the first set to beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the all-American US Open semifinal before a crowd of nearly 24,000 on Arthur Ashe Stadium, advancing to his first major final
- Shelton will face top-seeded Alexander Zverev, the reigning French Open champion, on Sunday; Zverev said he would try to "not make the American dream come true," and Shelton has lost all five prior meetings with him
- An American man has not won a Grand Slam singles title in 23 years — since Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open — though Shelton could become the first former college player to win a major since John McEnroe in 1984
- Shelton is the first Black American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, a distinction he credited to his grandmother (Bryan's mother), who passed away in March, saying "This one is for her"
- Shelton bypassed the typical teen-pro path by playing two seasons at the University of Florida under his father Bryan, winning the NCAA singles title in 2022 before turning pro and reaching the 2023 US Open semifinal in just his second major appearance
- Mary Joe Fernandez called this US Open "the most wide open for the Americans" with world No. 1 Jannik Sinner sidelined and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz returning from a five-month absence due to a wrist injury
Why it matters: Shelton's run sets up the most credible American men's Grand Slam title shot in over two decades against a beatable top seed. With Sinner and Alcaraz both compromised and Zverev standing between him and the trophy, the 23-year-old lefty has both the form and the favorable draw — though he has never beaten Zverev in five tries, a track record that makes Sunday the true measure of whether the drought ends now or gets handed off to the next wave.
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