Carlos Alcaraz expressed grace in his departure from the U.S. Open, congratulating Ben Shelton on his dramatic five-set victory and thanking New York fans for their support. The message came via social media Wednesday, less than a day after Shelton's upset win in the quarterfinals at Flushing Meadows.
"What a battle Ben!" Alcaraz posted. "You deserve the win, I wish you the best for the rest of the tournament! I leave here happy with my level after such a long injury. Thank you for the energy NYC. Always a very special place!"
Alcaraz, who was aiming to defend his U.S. Open title, entered the Grand Slam without competitive matches since April due to a right wrist injury sustained at the Barcelona Open. He had been performing well in the tournament until facing Shelton in a four-hour, 28-minute match.
Post-match, Alcaraz focused on the positives of his U.S. Open experience. "My expectation was to go there, you know, compete, play in these kind of matches for me being healthy," he stated. "It was close. It was close. So I’m just not going to be disappointed about don’t getting the win at the end. You know, I’m just happy. I’m just proud about myself, about how I fought."
He added that despite feeling physically tired after the third set, he found a way to push through. "In the fifth set I just started to feel better and better, but you know, I was playing against one of the — he is a beast. Shelton is an unbelievable player, powerful. He just managed how to play really, really well in every situation, so credit to him."
"I leave the court happy. I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed," Alcaraz concluded.
Shelton is scheduled to face Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals on Friday.