U.S. Open: Tournament Favourite Alcarez Kicked Out
Ben Shelton pulled off the shocker of the tournament, knocking out world number one and crowd favorite Carlos Alcaraz in an epic, five-set quarterfinal thriller at the 2026 U.S. Open.
The match officially broke the record as the longest match ever played at the U.S. Open!
Shelton somehow outlasted the defending champ, sealing the deal in a heart-pounding 10-point super tiebreak in the fifth set.
The final scoreboard reads like a roller coaster: 6–7 (5), 6–1, 6–3, 1–6, 7–6 (7).
How It Went Down
This wasn’t just a tennis match; it was a brutal, four-hour war of attrition that pushed both guys to their absolute limits.
The physical toll was visible. Alcaraz, who is still working his way back from a serious wrist injury, looked completely spent by the end of the night, even visibly retching on court as the match dragged into the early hours of the morning.
For Shelton, it marks his first-ever career win against Alcaraz, and it puts the eighth-seeded American into his second U.S. Open semifinal.
The best part for the home crowd is that Shelton moves on to play fellow American Frances Tiafoe next, setting up an epic matchup that will guarantee an American will be playing in the Men’s final at Flushing Meadows on Sunday!
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