Ben Shelton is in his first Grand Slam final. Getting here took four years on tour and three previous trips to the last four at a major.
The Breakthroughs
His first came quickly. Shelton reached the Australian Open quarterfinals in 2023, in his first trip outside the United States, having turned professional only months earlier.
Later that year he went further at home, reaching the US Open semifinals and losing to Novak Djokovic. That match produced the phone celebration and the Djokovic imitation of it that became the story of the tournament’s second week.
He reached the Australian Open semifinals in 2025, and the US Open semifinals again this year before beating Frances Tiafoe to reach the final.
The Semifinal That Changed It
Shelton beat Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday, hitting 47 winners to Tiafoe’s 27 after dropping the opening set. He dedicated the win to his late grandmother.
The result moves him to No. 4 in the rankings from No. 9, regardless of what happens today.
What a Title Would Mean
No American man has won the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2003. Shelton is the youngest American man to reach the final here since Roddick did it that year.
He is also the rare top-10 player who went to college first, spending two seasons at Florida under his father before turning professional in August 2022.
The Obstacle
Alexander Zverev has beaten him in all five of their meetings and taken 10 of their 11 sets. None of those came at a major, and none were best of five.
Related
US Open final today · College career · His parents · Zverev’s Grand Slam record
The Bottom Line
No major titles yet, and one final. Before today his best results were US Open semifinals in 2023 and 2026 and an Australian Open semifinal in 2025. A win would be the first by an American man at this tournament in 23 years.