Ben Shelton is on the cusp of ending a 23-year Grand Slam title drought for American men at the U.S. Open, a feat that carries historical weight and personal challenges as he prepares to face Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final.
Shelton's journey to his first Grand Slam final is already significant, marking him as the first Black American to reach a U.S. Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and the first Black American to reach any Grand Slam final since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996. He is also aiming to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Despite the considerable history and pressure, Shelton expressed a calm demeanor. "For me, this whole tournament now at this point has been uncharted territory," Shelton said. "I’m in positions I’ve never been in before. I’ve beaten guys that I’ve never beaten before. I’m just excited to put it all out on the line." He added that he has managed to "downplay the moment pretty well" by focusing on enjoying the experience with his team.
His father and coach, Bryan Shelton, noted his son's consistent performance in finals. "Don’t want to jinx him here, but if you look at his record throughout his career, he’s played well on Sundays," Bryan Shelton said. "That’s where he wants to be. He feels like he’s going to play his best tennis at the end of [tournaments]. So, glad he has a chance at the U.S. Open."
Shelton acknowledged the challenge posed by Zverev, who is the tournament's top seed and a Grand Slam champion. Their head-to-head record stands at 0-5 in favor of Zverev. However, Shelton has demonstrated an ability to overcome previous statistical disadvantages throughout this tournament, defeating players like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz after having prior winless records against them. He also avenged a past loss to Frances Tiafoe by defeating him in the semifinal.
"Problem-solving has been the name of the game here," Shelton stated. "I was 0-1 against Stef, 0-3 against Carlos. [Tiafoe] beat me the last time we played on this court. It’s been a lot of uphill battle, so I’m fully ready for the challenge to problem-solve."
Zverev recognized Shelton's powerful game, describing him as "a big, powerful guy. Massive serve, massive groundstrokes. Everything he does is just big." Despite the historical head-to-head record, Shelton feels he is a transformed player, more confident and with a clearer understanding of his game. "I’m a different player. I have so many more tools. I feel like I know my identity, am comfortable in my own skin, and I know what it takes for me to be playing top-level tennis," he said.
Shelton's mindset for the final is one of embracing the challenge and pushing his limits. "The nerves are always there. It’s something you’ve got to lean into. The nerves are as much there in the first round for me as in the semifinals, and I’m sure the finals will be the same. It’s something you’ve got to be able to overcome. But for me, I’m having fun. I’m playing against the No. 1 seed, Grand Slam final, playing against a Grand Slam champion trying to get my first. It’s a lot of reasons that this is an enjoyable moment for me and knowing I can leave it all out there on the court and push myself to the absolute limit in every way and see what I can do is an exciting, exciting thought."
