Ben Shelton Beats Frances Tiafoe in Four Sets to Reach US Open Final

Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday to become the first Black American man to reach a US Open final since 1972.

No. 8-seeded Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday to advance to the 2026 US Open final. Shelton recorded 20 aces during the match, including consecutive serves clocked at 144, 139, and 140 mph during the second set. While Tiafoe won 69% of his second-serve points in the opening set, that efficiency dropped to 28% for the remainder of the contest. A pivotal 20-point game in the third set lasted 15 minutes before Shelton secured the break to move within one set of the victory.

According to ESPN News Services, the 23-year-old Shelton is the first Black American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. He also aims to become the first former college player to win a men's major since John McEnroe in 1984. The victory follows Shelton’s quarterfinal win over Carlos Alcaraz, which concluded at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday, marking the latest finish in tournament history.

Shelton will face No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev on Sunday. Zverev reached the final by defeating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6). Although Zverev holds a 5-0 career head-to-head record against Shelton and has won their last 10 sets, this will be their first meeting at a Grand Slam. If Shelton wins, he will be the first American man to claim a major title since Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open. Tiafoe now holds an 0-3 record in US Open semifinals.