Ben Shelton booked his place in the US Open final on Friday, staging a dramatic comeback against fellow American Frances Tiafoe to set up a championship showdown with Alexander Zverev. The victory moves Shelton closer to ending a 23-year drought for a men’s singles Grand Slam title from the United States.
Playing on an emotionally charged evening that opened with commemorations for the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Shelton recovered from losing the first set to defeat Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, and 7-5. No American man has claimed a major singles title since Andy Roddick won at Flushing Meadows in 2003.
Tiafoe appeared to be closing in on a set lead at 5-4 in the opening frame when Shelton double-faulted, but the eighth seed responded with a crucial hold to take the set. While Tiafoe targeted Shelton’s backhand in the second set, Shelton increased his intensity to level the match, breaking serve in the fifth game of the third set to seize control.
Utilizing his powerful left-handed serve and solid defense, Shelton closed out the high-intensity fourth set to advance to his maiden major final.
Earlier in the day, Alexander Zverev secured his spot in the decider with a hard-fought victory over Karen Khachanov, winning 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), and 7-6 (8-6). The win marks Zverev’s third consecutive Grand Slam final appearance and his second at the US Open, where he was runner-up to Dominic Thiem in 2020.
Zverev admitted that his tournament start had been rocky, requiring him to laugh off poor performances in the early rounds. Despite playing night sessions due to schedule constraints, the German capitalized on the absence of top contenders Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, and Novak Djokovic to reach the final. He survived tight tie-breaks in the second and third sets, including a 35-shot rally to win the second, before taking the match point in the finale.
Instead of dreading the expected partisan crowd on Sunday, Zverev expressed enthusiasm for the atmosphere at a sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium. “For me, a loud and energetic crowd is always great, as long as they’re fair,” he said.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova praised Zverev’s current form, stating there are “no asterisks” attached to his success despite the withdrawal of top rivals. Noting that Zverev has not dropped a set in his last four matches, Navratilova concluded that the German player is peaking at the right time.
The US Open final is scheduled for Sunday in New York.
What a stunning comeback from Tiafoe! He had that first set completely under control before Shelton found his rhythm again.
Shelton’s serve is terrifying to play against. If he keeps hitting first serves like that, Zverev is in serious trouble.
Does the open era actually count as ‘no asterisks’ when the top three guys all withdraw? Pretty convenient for Zverev, don’t you think?
I still can’t believe Roddick’s record has stood for over two decades. The drought feels endless, but Shelton could finally break it.
Imagine not dropping a single set in the final four matches. Zverev is playing absolute championship tennis right now.