‘Sharing the court with Carlos is an absolute honour’: Shelton

Ben Shelton stunned defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set US Open quarter-final thriller, winning 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7). The American reached the semi-finals and praised sharing the court with Alcaraz as an “absolute honour”

New Delhi: Ben Shelton described sharing the court with Carlos Alcaraz as an “absolute honour” after producing a stunning five-set victory over the defending champion in a thrilling US Open quarter-final.

Shelton defeated Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) in a four-hour, 28-minute battle that went down to the final points.

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“I’m just so grateful, so blessed. God’s blessed me in so many ways. To be here in front of you guys tonight is an absolute honour. Sharing the court with Carlos is an absolute honour, and I cherish every moment that I have out here,” Shelton said after the match.

The American also credited his support system and the New York crowd for helping him overcome several momentum swings during the contest.

“Whether it’s my coaches and my team over there, all my family and friends over here, or the city of New York that showed up tonight till 3 a.m. with the USA chants until the very end. That’s what kept me going, and that’s what got me this win tonight,” he said.

Shelton’s victory ended Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak at Grand Slams and earned him a place in the US Open semi-finals for the first time since 2023.

The contest finished at 3:33 a.m. local time, making it the latest finish in US Open history. Shelton sealed the win with a 146-mph ace in the deciding-set tiebreak.

Alcaraz, playing his first tournament after a four-month injury layoff, had dropped only one set before the quarter-final. He was chasing his eighth Grand Slam title and attempting to become the first man since Roger Federer to successfully defend the US Open crown.

Shelton, who recently won his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal, said the atmosphere inside Arthur Ashe Stadium made the marathon victory even more special.

“I mean, it’s incredible. I always say that this is the greatest sports city in the world. I say that this is the greatest stadium in the world,” he said.

The 23-year-old will now face 11th seed Frances Tiafoe in the semi-final, with both Americans bidding to reach their first Grand Slam final.

Shelton leads Tiafoe 3-1 in their head-to-head record, including a 2023 US Open quarter-final victory, while Tiafoe won their third-round meeting at Flushing Meadows last year.