Shelton beats Tiafoe to become the first Black American man in a US Open final since Ashe
Ben Shelton beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to reach a first Grand Slam final and become the first Black American man in a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. He dedicated it to the grandmother his father lost this year, without whom, he said, there is no Ben Shelton, and asked a stadium that had adopted him to come back on Sunday.
Ben Shelton, US Open 2026 | © AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura/SIPA
American No. 8 seed Ben Shelton beat his friend and compatriot Frances Tiafoe, the No. 11 seed, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday night in New York to reach his first Grand Slam final, and in doing so became the first Black American man in a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. Tiafoe was over the net to congratulate him before the last ball had settled.
He plays Alexander Zverev on Sunday. The German top seed, who reached the final earlier on Friday by beating Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6), has won all five of their meetings.
Shelton lost the opening set and won 14 of the next 20 games. The match turned on what each man did with his chances: the No. 8 seed converted five of his 11 break points, the No. 11 seed two of his seven. Shelton hit 47 winners to 27 and won 77% of the points behind his first serve.
“He also started returning better”, Tiafoe noted. “First set, the 5-4 game alone, his forehand-backhand return was way out. He had little jitters, but that’s just something that I continue to need to get better. That was something that put me behind the eight ball a lot tonight.”
A serve that will be argued about
At 2-1 in the third set Shelton was clocked at 158 mph, 254 kph, which would be the fastest serve in Grand Slam history. Hawkeye read the same ball at 144 mph. Until the two readings are reconciled, the number is disputed rather than a record.
The history attached to Sunday is the story of the night. No Black American man has reached the US Open final since Ashe did it in 1972, and none has reached a Grand Slam final of any kind since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996, thirty years ago. At 23, Shelton is also the youngest American man in a major final since Andy Roddick in 2005, and Roddick, at this tournament in 2003, was the last American man to win one.
Shelton was asked on court what went through his mind hearing those numbers, and answered with a family. “It’s a lot of emotion. My mom and dad sacrificed a lot for me to be in this position today. My dad lost his mom earlier this year. She’s the reason he was able to play tennis. Without her there’s no Ben Shelton standing here today. This one is for her.”
I’ma need you guys on Sunday to bring the energy. We’re going for it here. I’ma leave it all on the court.
He then asked the stadium for Sunday. “I’ma need you guys on Sunday to bring the energy. We’re going for it here. I’ma leave it all on the court. I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do this for the USA.”
And he closed on the date. The semifinal was played on September 11. “It’s a difficult day to be out here playing. My thoughts and prayers go out to all families who are impacted by 9/11. This is one of the greatest cities in the world and one of the biggest tragedies. Thoughts and prayers to everyone involved and affected.”
Tiafoe loses a third semifinal at his own tournament
For Tiafoe, 28, it is a third US Open semifinal and a third defeat in one. He lost to Carlos Alcaraz in five sets in 2022 and to Taylor Fritz in five in 2024, and now to a compatriot in four. All three of his Grand Slam semifinals have been played here.
He had arrived past American Martin Damm 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, Japanese qualifier Rei Sakamoto 6-3, 7-6 (2), 7-5, Monégasque No. 22 seed Valentin Vacherot 6-4, 6-2, 6-4, Russian No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6) and, on Tuesday, Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (6), a match he won from two sets and a break down and finished by consoling the man he had beaten.
Shelton’s fortnight has been the harder of the two on paper. He beat Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-2, Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (3), 7-5, Canadian Denis Shapovalov 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 and Greece’s Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, before removing two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) at the latest finish in the tournament’s history.
