American Night: US Open 2026 Semifinals
The Match That Ended at 3:33 A.M.
Ben Shelton was 0-17 against top-three players before Wednesday night. He is now 1-17, and that one win came against Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion and pre-tournament favourite, in a match that finished at 3:33 a.m. local time in New York. It is the latest finish in US Open history, surpassing Alcaraz's own record: in 2022, he beat Jannik Sinner in a quarterfinal that ended at 2:50 a.m. The 2026 version erased it by 43 minutes. The score was 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) across four hours and 28 minutes. Alcaraz, playing his first tournament since a wrist injury sidelined him in April, vomited before the fifth set. He still took a 5-3 lead in the deciding tiebreak. Shelton came back behind a series of 140-mph-plus serves, finishing the match with a 146-mph ace. Thousands of fans remained in Arthur Ashe Stadium chanting "USA" through the small hours of Thursday.
"The city of New York that showed up tonight until 3am with the USA chants, that's what kept me going and what got me this win.
"Ben Shelton on-court interview
A 23-Year Drought That Is Now One Win Away
Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. That was the last time an American man won a Grand Slam singles title. In the years since, American men reached Grand Slam finals seven times without converting: Roddick lost four Wimbledon finals to Roger Federer between 2004 and 2009, and Taylor Fritz lost the 2024 US Open final to Sinner in straight sets. This year is different. Shelton beat Alcaraz. Frances Tiafoe came back from two sets down against Alex Michelsen (5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6) to reach a third career US Open semifinal. Tiafoe had been 2-17 in Grand Slams when trailing 0-2 in sets. He is now 3-17. An American man will play in Sunday's final. The drought ends at 23 years regardless of who wins the Shelton-Tiafoe semifinal on Friday. The last time five Americans reached the final 16 of a major together was 1995.
Men's SF on Friday
Shelton vs. Tiafoe (Arthur Ashe)
Latest finish in US Open history
3:33 a.m. (Shelton def. Alcaraz)
Shelton's record vs top-3 before the match
0 wins from 17 attempts
Americans in the men's final 16
5 (first time since 1995)
Years since last American man won a major
23 (Roddick 2003 US Open)
Prize money per singles champion
$5.5 million
Total tournament prize fund
$108 million (record high)
The Women's Draw Has Not Looked Like This Since 1975
While the men's story is about a drought ending, the women's draw is about a bracket that has not existed in 51 years. The top four seeds, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff, all reached the semifinals. The last time all four top women's seeds made the US Open semifinals was 1975: Chris Evert, Virginia Wade, Martina Navratilova and Evonne Goolagong. Gauff saved two match points against Mirra Andreeva to get there (2-6, 7-6, 6-2). She now has 90 career Grand Slam match wins, level with Evert for fourth among American women all time, behind Serena Williams (103), Venus Williams (107) and Mary Joe Fernandez (93). Rybakina moved to world No. 1 simply by reaching the semifinals. She is two wins from becoming the sixth woman since 1988 to win both hard-court majors in one calendar year. Sabalenka is chasing a third consecutive US Open title, achieved by only three women in the Open Era.
"Shelton played a very complete and very mature match. He knew exactly what to do at every moment. And physically he's a beast. It seemed like he had no weaknesses whatsoever.
"Carlos Alcaraz after losing to Shelton
What This Opens Up
The Shelton-Tiafoe semifinal is the second all-American men's semifinal at a Grand Slam in three years, after Fritz beat Tiafoe here in 2024. One of them reaches Sunday's final. The other goes home having beaten a top-three player or mounted a two-set comeback in five. Both outcomes are results that define a career. The women's semifinals are Thursday: Sabalenka against Pegula (a rematch of the 2024 US Open final); and Rybakina against Gauff. The world No. 1 ranking changes hands across those two matches. All four players can end the fortnight at the top of the game. Whatever happens from Friday onward, September 10 is the morning after American tennis confirmed its return on the biggest stage available. The sport has not had a night quite like Wednesday's at Flushing Meadows in a very long time.