Ben Shelton delivered a thrilling performance on Friday, overcoming fellow American Frances Tiafoe in a high‑octane US Open semi‑final to earn a place in the championship match against Germany's Alexander Zverev. The evening was tinged with solemn remembrance, as the tournament opened with tributes marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Despite dropping the first set, Shelton rallied to win 4‑6, 6‑3, 6‑3, 7‑5, moving one step closer to ending a 23‑year drought for an American man to capture a Grand Slam singles title. The last U.S. male champion was Andy Roddick, who triumphed at Flushing Meadows in 2003, and Shelton now has the chance to become the next.
Notably, he becomes the first Black American to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe did so in 1972. Zverev secured his spot in the final earlier in the day, dispatching Karen Khachanov in straight sets, 6‑3, 7‑6 (9‑7), 7‑6 (8‑6). The German, already a two‑time Grand Slam champion, is looking to add a second major title to his résumé.
After the match, Shelton addressed the crowd: "First, 'Foe' is like a big brother to me. This is where we want to be, at the tail end of this tournament.
I know what my goal is, what my job is. I'm going for it here.
Let's do this for the USA! One more thing – it's a difficult day to be out here playing. My thoughts and prayers go to all the families who were impacted by 9/11." His words blended personal motivation with a respectful nod to the day's commemorative tone. The semi‑final began with Tiafoe taking an early lead, breaking Shelton at 5‑4 after a double fault from the American.
Tiafoe then held serve to claim the opening set 6‑4. In the second set, Tiafoe continued to attack Shelton's backhand, but Shelton responded with a serve he initially believed to be the fastest in Grand Slam history—a 158 mph missile. Subsequent Hawk‑Eye analysis, however, corrected the speed to 144 mph.
Undeterred, Shelton turned up the intensity. With fresh balls at 3‑3, he unleashed a 125 mph serve that forced Tiafoe into a defensive posture, followed by a series of serves clocking 144, 139 and 140 mph, gradually leveling the match. Shelton broke in the fifth game of the third set, establishing a commanding lead that he would never relinquish.
His left‑handed, booming serve and rock‑solid defense proved too much for Tiafoe in the high‑energy fourth set. The eighth‑seeded American pressed his advantage, ultimately sealing an emotional victory.
He finished the match with 47 winners, including 20 aces, underscoring the potency of his service game. Statistically, Shelton's serve ranks among the fastest recorded at Flushing Meadows. While Andy Roddick still holds the US Open record at 152 mph (set in 2002), and Sam Groth holds the overall Challenger record at 163.6 mph, Shelton's performance placed him firmly in elite company.
On the other side of the draw, Zverev's path to the final has been marked by resilience. After being pushed to five sets in each of his first two rounds, the German has won his last four matches without dropping a set, showcasing a remarkable turnaround. He previously finished runner‑up at the US Open in 2020, losing to Dominic Thiem, and now aims to capture the title.
Reflecting on his journey, Zverev admitted, "After the second round at 3 a.m., my team and I were actually laughing at how bad I was playing. That sense of humour helped me. I have improved a little bit; otherwise I wouldn't be in the US Open final." The German has spent much of the tournament playing night sessions, navigating a schedule that often kept him on the court well into the early morning hours. Zverev's run has also benefited from the absence of several top contenders.
Jannik Sinner withdrew, and early exits by Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic cleared a path that, combined with a favorable draw, propelled Zverev to his third consecutive major final. He described his mindset before the final: "I really started off the tournament thinking it was pointless because I wasn't going to do anything here, and here I am sitting and preparing for a Sunday final." In his semi‑final against Khachanov, Zverev secured a solitary break to take the first set, then added another early break in the second. A double fault from Khachanov gave the German a chance to close out the match, but he was forced into a tie‑break, trailing 5‑3 before rallying through a grueling 35‑shot exchange to win. The third set followed a similar pattern, with Khachanov holding set points at 6‑4, only for Zverev to claw back with two errant forehands and an ace to claim match point on his first opportunity.
Looking ahead, Zverev expressed excitement about playing the final in front of a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium rather than an empty venue: "I think it's going to be a fantastic feeling playing a final in a sold‑out Arthur Ashe and not in an empty one. For me, a loud and energetic crowd is always great, as long as they're fair." Former tennis great Martina Navratilova, commenting for Sky Sports Tennis, praised Zverev's season: "What a year Zverev has had at the majors. It's been outstanding stuff. Okay, Sinner lost early at the French Open and Alcaraz didn't play, but there are no asterisks; he still had to get through even as a favourite.
And that has given the confidence to play better tennis after that. I think he played better at Wimbledon than he did at Roland Garros, and now he started off badly here by his own admission, but he hasn't lost a set the last four matches." The US Open will continue its broadcast on Sky Sports from August 30, with streaming options available via NOW and the Sky Sports app.
Fans can also catch the Laver Cup at The O2 in London from September 25‑27, also shown on Sky Sports. The upcoming final promises a compelling narrative: a young, powerful American challenger seeking to end a two‑decade drought versus a seasoned German veteran aiming to cement his place among the sport's elite.