Ben Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz in five sets at the US Open, knocking one of the tournament favorites out of the men's draw and reaching the semifinals in New York.
Alcaraz, who won the title in New York earlier in his career, had arrived as the player to beat. Shelton used his serve and his left-handed forehand to stay in rallies and force the match deep into a deciding set.
A draw that keeps opening
The men's tournament has already lost one star. Jannik Sinner withdrew before play began because of a knee injury. Novak Djokovic, a four-time champion in New York, lost in the first round to Mariano Navone. Those exits left the field more open than usual.
Frances Tiafoe joined Shelton in the later rounds by rallying past Alex Michelsen in five sets. American men have not produced a Grand Slam singles champion in years, and the home crowd has noticed the chance.
Women's semifinals end US hopes
The women's draw went the other way. Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff both fell in the semifinals, so no American woman reached the final. Organizers also said Wimbledon would ban influencers from its grounds after complaints at the US Open about crowds and access.
What the win means
For Shelton, beating a player of Alcaraz's level on a hard court answers a question that followed him through the season: whether his power game holds up over five sets against the best returners. The answer in New York was yes.
Beyond the bracket, the result keeps the men's event unpredictable. Morocco and Spain are also jostling over which country will host the 2030 World Cup final, a dispute that has run alongside the tennis in the sports news cycle.
The win also gives Shelton ranking points at the right time of year, with the indoor hard-court season ahead and a place in the year-end standings still within reach. Coaches around the tour have said his serve is among the fastest on the men's side; the question was always the rest of the game. A five-set result against Alcaraz suggests the rest of the game has caught up.