Sports · United States
Ben Shelton Reaches First US Open Final and Can End 23-Year American Men's Grand Slam Drought
Ben Shelton will face Alexander Zverev in the US Open men's final after defeating Frances Tiafoe, putting the 23-year-old American one victory away from ending one of the longest droughts in US men's tennis.
YuToday Staff
· 1 min read · September 12, 2026
Key takeaways
- Ben Shelton defeated fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the first Grand Slam singles final of his career.
- No American man has won a Grand Slam singles championship since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003.
- Shelton can end that drought in front of the home crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Shelton Reaches His First Major Final
Ben Shelton defeated fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to reach the first Grand Slam singles final of his career.
A Chance to End a 23-Year Drought
No American man has won a Grand Slam singles championship since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. Shelton can end that drought in front of the home crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Historic Achievement
Shelton is the first Black American man to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and the first Black American man to reach any men's Grand Slam singles final since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996.
Alexander Zverev Stands in His Way
Zverev defeated Karen Khachanov in straight sets to reach the final. The German has beaten Shelton in each of their previous meetings and brings considerably more experience at this stage of major tournaments.
Why Sunday's Match Is Huge for US Tennis
A Shelton victory would provide American men's tennis with its biggest singles result in more than two decades and potentially establish the 23-year-old as one of the sport's new global stars.