US Open Quarterfinals: Shelton Shocks Alcaraz, American Finalist Confirmed
New York nights are supposed to be wild. The US Open quarterfinals took that brief and stretched it to breaking point.
By the time Ben Shelton finally finished off Carlos Alcaraz in five sets, it was past 3 a.m. in Queens, the stadium half-drained but still buzzing, and the tournament had its defining epic. Four and a half hours. The defending champion out. An American left standing with his arms raised to the lights.
Shelton didn’t just beat Alcaraz; he ripped the draw wide open.
All‑American showdown guaranteed in men’s final
The result guarantees one thing: an American will play for the men’s title.
Shelton’s reward for surviving the longest match in US Open history is a semifinal against Frances Tiafoe, a man who knows all about going deep in New York and dragging the crowd along with him. The Maryland native had to grind through his own all‑American battle, outlasting Alex Michelsen in a tense quarterfinal that felt, at times, like a passing of the torch.
Now it’s Shelton vs. Tiafoe, power vs. flair, two players who feed off noise and chaos. One of them will walk out on championship weekend with the stars and stripes at their back.
On the other side of the draw, the mood was very different. No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev moved with the calm of a man who has seen this stage before and intends to stay a while. The French Open champion brushed aside Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets, a clinical performance that underlined why he sits at the top of the bracket.
Waiting for him is Karen Khachanov, who advanced when Alexander Blockx retired injured in their quarterfinal. It was a subdued ending to a contest that had promised more, but it nudges Khachanov into a massive opportunity: a shot at the top seed for a place in the US Open final.
The men’s semifinals are set for Friday, Sept. 11:
- No. 1 Alexander Zverev vs. Karen Khachanov, 3 p.m. ET
- No. 11 Frances Tiafoe vs. No. 8 Ben Shelton, 7 p.m. ET
Sabalenka, Pegula, Gauff, Rybakina: a heavyweight women’s final four
The women’s draw has its own American storyline, wrapped inside a brutally strong final four.
Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed, handled fellow American Emma Navarro with the composure of a player who has been close to the breakthrough for years and is tired of waiting. She now runs straight into the No. 1 seed and defending champion, Aryna Sabalenka, who powered past Wimbledon winner Linda Nosková to return to the sharp end of the tournament.
Sabalenka’s game still looks built for hard courts and hard moments. Pegula’s consistency and court craft will test every inch of that armor.
Then there is Coco Gauff, back where she left off. The No. 4 seed, and 2023 US Open champion, had to rally from behind to knock out No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva in a quarterfinal that reminded everyone how quickly she can flip a match. Once she found her range, the momentum swung and stayed with her.
Her semifinal is a blockbuster: Elena Rybakina, the No. 2 seed and now the new world No. 1 after her win over Qinwen Zheng. Rybakina’s clean, heavy ball-striking against Gauff’s speed, athleticism, and New York swagger. One chasing her first US Open crown, the other defending hers.
The women’s semifinals take the stage on Thursday, Sept. 10:
- No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- No. 2 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 4 Coco Gauff, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
The marathon quarterfinals have cleared the noise and left a sharp picture: four giants in the women’s draw, a guaranteed American finalist on the men’s side, and New York braced for another late‑night roar. The only question now is whose name this city will remember when the lights finally go out.
