Ben Shelton delivered a commanding performance Sunday night to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals, defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 in Arthur Ashe Stadium. The victory marked Shelton's most complete match of the tournament so far.
"My team told me that if I didn’t show fully focused (Sunday), they were going to leave," Shelton said after the match. "Yeah, I think it was all in my head, to be honest. I was focused, played a complete match from start to finish. Yeah, really happy with this performance. It’s my first straightforward match so far this year."
Shelton, an athletic lefty, did not face a single break point during the match and lost only 14 points on his serve. This dominant serving display followed earlier rounds where he was broken nine times.
His quarterfinal appearance contributes to a strong showing for American men at their home Grand Slam. Shelton joins other American men in the quarterfinals, a feat not achieved since 2005 and also seen in 2023. The last American man to win a Grand Slam was Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003, when Shelton was less than a year old.
Shelton is now slated to face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals, a matchup he acknowledged will be a significant challenge. Shelton's current record against Alcaraz is 0-3.
"Yeah. Special tennis. I think the level that he’s been playing at is really, really impressive to be not playing for five months," Shelton commented on Alcaraz. "To come out and do what he’s done so far this tournament has been superhuman. We’re happy to have him back on tour. He lights up the stadium every time he plays. I think it’s going to be fireworks on Tuesday night. I hope you guys come back, because I’m ready to go."
