Ben Shelton's earthquake: American player defeats Carlos Alcaraz in US Open 2026 quarterfinal

A real earthquake has really shaken the court in New York at dawn on September 9, 2026. Home player Ben Shelton created one of the biggest shocks in his career by turning defending champion Carlos Alcaraz into a former champion after a gripping 5-set thriller: 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10/7). Ben Shelton got the historic ticket after 4 hours 28 minutes of play with Alcaraz. This crazy match officially entered history when it ended at 3:33 am (New York time). The previous record (2:50 am) was also called Alcaraz two years ago. But this time, the Spanish star couldn't repeat the miracle. After 4 hours 28 minutes of breathless pursuit, Shelton was the one who kept his cool better in the deciding Match Tie-break to get his name into the semifinals. Stepping beyond the limit of fatigue, Ben Shelton burst into happiness and didn't forget to thank the most tenacious fans of New York: "For me, it's all because of the people on the stands. Whether it's coaches, my team, family, friends or even the entire city of New York who stayed up with me until 3 am. The 'USA' cheers from the crowd until the final points were the launchpad that helped me win today." "A wonderful match, very determined. Carlos is one of the greatest champions in our sport at just 23 years old. It's always interesting to play with him. Sometimes his shots are really unbelievable. But it's certainly the most interesting match I've ever played in my career," Shelton gave respect to Alcaraz after the victory. This victory continued Shelton's 23-year-old streak of destroying the hard court North American season with a record of 13 wins - 2 losses, including the ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal. Notably, Shelton has overcome an incredibly resilient Alcaraz, who had only lost one set on his way to the quarterfinals after 4 months off for injury. This bitter defeat also officially ended Alcaraz's 18-match winning streak at Grand Slam events. This record was extended from the US Open 2026 title and the Australian Open 2026 victory (the tournament that helped him become the youngest player in history to complete Career Grand Slam). Alcaraz's desire to defend the US Open crown and recreate Roger Federer's record (Federer is the only male player to win US Open 5 times in a row) was put on hold. In the semifinals, Ben Shelton (currently with a 2026 record of 38 wins - 13 losses) will face his fellow countryman and seed number 11 Frances Tiafoe. Both are heading for their first Grand Slam final. Currently, Shelton leads Tiafoe with a head-to-head record of 3-1, and they had split wins in their two previous meetings at Flushing Meadows in 2026 and 2026. This match is scheduled for September 11.