Ben Shelton celebrated a career-defining victory at the U.S. Open, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in a grueling five-set match that concluded shortly after 3:30 AM. The marathon contest, one of the latest in the tournament's history, extended beyond four hours.
Emerging from the demanding match, Shelton's primary request was for his sister and close friend, Emma Shelton, to be granted the day off from her job. "I'm just hoping that my best friend and my sister over there don't have to be at work at 6 a.m. in three hours; it'd be huge from their employers to let them have the day off today," Shelton stated during an on-court interview.
Emma Shelton, a former college tennis player, works in finance for Morgan Stanley in New York City. She has been a consistent presence supporting her brother's tennis career, traveling to various tournaments. During the match, she was observed reacting to her brother's performance as he became the first American to defeat the world's No. 3 player in a Grand Slam match.
Shelton has previously described his sister as his "lucky charm," particularly during Wimbledon the previous year, though she had to return to the United States for her professional commitments. The siblings were raised by their father, Bryan Shelton, a former professional player and coach who guided their development in tennis.
During the U.S. Open match, Shelton was seen acknowledging his support group in the stands, which also included his girlfriend, U.S. soccer player Trinity Rodman. He is scheduled to face fellow American Frances Tiafoe next, with that quarterfinal match set to begin at 3 p.m. ET. Potential opponents in later rounds could include top seed Alex Zverev.