Ben Shelton beat Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets at Arthur Ashe Stadium to book his place in the US Open quarter-finals. The American won 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 and controlled the match from the outset. Tsitsipas, a two-time major finalist, struggled to find his rhythm as Shelton’s serve and aggressive play kept him off balance. Even a medical timeout in the second set failed to shift the momentum. Shelton fired 14 aces and won 85% of his first-serve points, information from official US Open statistics.
The win marks a sharp turnaround for Shelton, who went through four-set matches in each of his first three rounds against Tallon Griekspoor, Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov. Those early tests may have sharpened his game. Against Tsitsipas, he wrapped up the match in under two hours without dropping a set. Shelton has now won three straight matches against players who have reached the Top 10 in the PIF ATP Rankings, a run that shows he can handle the tournament’s biggest stages.
Shelton’s recent results reinforce his run in New York. Since the North American hard-court season began after Wimbledon, he has gone 12-2 and claimed his second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal. This is his sixth major quarter-final and his second at the US Open, following his run to the semi-finals last year. At 23, he has become one of the most dangerous players left in the draw.
Tsitsipas came into the match with momentum after beating Cincinnati champion Arthur Fils, then Lloyd Harris and Jiri Lehecka. Against Shelton, though, his game unravelled. A basic backhand error at 1-1 in the third set gave Shelton the break, and the American kept up the pressure. Tsitsipas could not get his usual aggressive baseline game going, and his frustration showed as the match slipped away.
Shelton now faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals. Alcaraz looked sharp earlier in the day, beating Tommy Paul in straight sets. Though he had not played a match since April before this tournament, Alcaraz has shown no signs of rust. He has a perfect record against Shelton in their previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meetings, though they last met at Roland Garros in 2023. As reported earlier, Alcaraz’s return has been one of the tournament’s basic stories.
The United States Tennis Association reported record attendance at this year’s US Open, with more than 800,000 fans passing through the gates in the first week alone. The surge reflects tennis’s growing popularity in the US and the global appeal of marquee matchups such as Shelton vs. Alcaraz.
Shelton faces his toughest test yet: a champion who has dominated their past meetings and thrives under New York’s spotlight. Still, Shelton’s recent form and record against top opponents suggest this quarter-final could be closer than the rankings predict. If he plays as he did against Tsitsipas, he could push Alcaraz in one of the tournament’s most anticipated matches.
