Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the US Open semifinal on Friday night. The 23-year-old recovered after losing the opening set and reached his first Grand Slam final. The all-American contest unfolded under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium, as Baltimore Chronicle reports.
The result was confirmed by the official US Open website. Reuters also reported on Shelton’s breakthrough victory.
Ben Shelton turns the semifinal around
Tiafoe made the sharper start and took the first set 6-4. Shelton responded quickly.
The No. 8 seed won the next 2 sets 6-3, 6-3. His serve again became a central weapon. More importantly, Shelton controlled the decisive points when the match tightened.
Tiafoe resisted deep into the fourth set. Shelton finally broke through at 5-5 before serving out the match 7-5.
The scoreline shows how the momentum changed:
| Set | Shelton | Tiafoe |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 6 |
| 2 | 6 | 3 |
| 3 | 6 | 3 |
| 4 | 7 | 5 |
The victory improved Shelton’s record against Tiafoe and settled another high-profile US Open meeting between the Americans.
US Open semifinal sends Shelton into first Grand Slam final
The Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe semifinal carried significance beyond the result.
Shelton became the first Black American man to reach a US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. He also became the first Black American man in a major singles final since MaliVai Washington reached Wimbledon’s final in 1996.
Before facing Tiafoe, Shelton had eliminated defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a dramatic quarterfinal.
His route to the final included:
- a five-set victory over Alcaraz;
- a comeback against Tiafoe after losing the first set;
- a second US Open semifinal appearance after his 2023 run;
- his first qualification for a Grand Slam final.
Those results made New York the strongest major tournament of Shelton’s career.
Who did Ben Shelton play in the US Open final?
The US Open 2026 semifinal result sent Shelton into a championship match against Alexander Zverev.
Zverev defeated Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6, 7-6 in the other semifinal. Shelton therefore entered his first major final against the tournament’s top seed.
The match against Tiafoe had already marked a breakthrough. Shelton moved from promising American contender to Grand Slam finalist on one of tennis’s largest stages.
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