Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday night at the U.S. Open, sending the American crowd into full-throated support for their local hero. Now Shelton will face Alexander Zverev for the title on Sunday.
The final will mark a historic moment for U.S. tennis. The host nation hasn’t had a men’s Grand Slam winner since Andy Roddick took the trophy at Flushing Meadows in 2003. That drought spans more than two decades.
“I’m going for it here, and I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton said. “I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do it for the USA.”
Shelton’s Comeback Against Tiafoe
Shelton and Tiafoe both reached the semifinals after battling through grueling matches. Shelton’s path included ousting defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m. — the latest finish ever at the U.S. Open.
The match itself was a test of nerves. Tiafoe played cleaner tennis in the first set, committing just three unforced errors to 14 by Shelton. His double-fault at 4-4 gave Tiafoe the break he needed to take the opening set.
But after falling behind, Shelton served bigger. He finished with 20 aces and hit a 125 mph serve in the second set that knocked Tiafoe backward onto the court. Three serves in a row were clocked at 144, 139 and 140, with the last two ending as aces.
The match turned in the third set. Tiafoe was desperately trying to hold serve in the final game of the set, and the game lasted 15 minutes and 20 points. Tiafoe put a forehand into the net to end it, handing Shelton the set and moving him one set away from the title.
Zverev’s Road to the Final
Zverev, the top seed, beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) in the first semifinal. The German has been the best player in the world without a major title for years. He finally broke through at the French Open this year, then reached the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Jannik Sinner.
Zverev is 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this season. He has won 13 consecutive sets after becoming the first No. 1-seeded man to play five-setters in each of the first two rounds of a major.
His road to New York wasn’t easy. Zverev had to go the distance against Lorenzo Sonego and Quentin Halys in his first two rounds, spending nearly 9 1/2 hours on court. He and his team laughed about how poorly he was playing after the second match.
“That kind of sense of humor, it helped me,” Zverev said. “Moving forward, I was playing much better tennis. Obviously I have improved a little bit. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be in the U.S. Open final.”
The Crowd That Made the Match Special
The semifinal drew a star-studded crowd that included Serena Williams, Jalen Brunson and Trinity Rodman, Shelton’s girlfriend. Actors Salma Hayek, Ben Stiller and Rami Malek were also in attendance.
“This is where we want to be: at the tail end of this tournament,” Shelton said. “This is both of our favorite tournament in the world, our favorite court in the world and to be able to light it up in front of (this crowd) is the best feeling that there is.”
Tiafoe fell to 0-3 in the U.S. Open semifinals. Taylor Fritz beat him in 2024 before losing to Jannik Sinner.
“I wanted to be in a Grand Slam final. Obviously it was a big match,” Tiafoe said. “Ben played well tonight. Served really well tonight, which made it really tough on me.”
What’s at Stake on Sunday
Zverev is chasing a title that has eluded him before. In 2020, he led Dominic Thiem 2-0 in sets before losing in a fifth-set tiebreaker. Thiem became the first man to win the U.S. Open title after dropping the first two sets since 1949.
Shelton, meanwhile, is the American hope to end the Grand Slam drought. The 23-year-old from Georgia was less than a year old when Roddick won his title.
The final will likely feature a lopsided crowd. Shelton’s semifinal victory means the American fans will be almost entirely behind him on Sunday.
A Historic Moment in the Making
The U.S. Open has not produced a men’s champion from its own country since 2003. Shelton’s semifinal win puts him one match away from changing that.
The match will be a test of who can handle pressure. Shelton has shown he can fight through long rallies, while Zverev has proven he can win close matches.
The stakes are high for both players. For Shelton, it is a chance to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam since Roddick. For Zverev, it is a chance to finally win the title that has escaped him.
What We Make of It
This final is a rare moment for U.S. tennis. The crowd’s enthusiasm, the quality of play, and the significance of what’s at stake make this a compelling matchup.
Shelton’s comeback against Tiafoe was the kind of match that defines a tournament. The 15-minute, 20-point final game in the third set was a highlight that will live in memory.
The U.S. Open has struggled to produce American champions in recent years. Shelton’s run changes that narrative. If he wins, he ends a drought that has defined men’s tennis in the United States.
Zverev has faced the same frustration. He has been the best player in the world without a major title, and his 2020 loss to Thiem stung deeply.
Sunday’s final will answer those questions. One player will walk off with the trophy, and the other will leave with a loss that could define his career.