Shelton Tops Tiafoe, Faces Zverev in US Open Final — SkimNews
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- Ben Shelton rallied from a set down to defeat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the US Open semifinal before a capacity crowd of nearly 24,000 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, advancing to his first major final.
- Shelton faces top-seeded Alexander Zverev, the reigning French Open champion, on Sunday carrying a chance to end a 23-year American men's Grand Slam title drought — Andy Roddick's 2003 US Open title came before Shelton turned one.
- Zverev holds a 5-0 lifetime head-to-head edge over Shelton but the two have never met at a major or in 2025; Zverev said Friday he would try to 'not make the American dream come true on Sunday.'
- Shelton spent two seasons playing college tennis at Florida under his father and coach Bryan, helping win the 2021 NCAA team title and claiming the NCAA singles crown — a path former Stanford coach Dick Gould credits with his physical maturation and pro readiness.
- Shelton would become the first Black American man in a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972; he dedicated the run to his late grandmother, who died in March and sacrificed to fund his father's tennis career.
- American men's tennis is in a deep generational surge: Taylor Fritz reached the 2024 US Open final, Tommy Paul made the 2023 Australian Open semis, and 20-year-old Learner Tien sits just outside the top 10.
Why it matters: Shelton's run carries two rare distinctions beyond ending the 23-year American men's major drought: he would be the first former college player to win a Slam since John McEnroe in 1984, and the first Black American man in a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. With world No. 1 Sinner sidelined and Alcaraz returning from a five-month wrist injury absence, the draw opened up at exactly the right moment for a generation of Americans who have been pushing each other deeper into Slams.
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