Ben Shelton in Nadal's Company: American joins elite list after reaching US Open final
(Courtesy : Instagram/@benshelton)
Ben Shelton defeated Frances Tiafoe to reach the final
On a night destined for the history books at Arthur Ashe Stadium, big-serving Atlanta lefty Ben Shelton dug deep during his US Open 2026 semi-final meeting against good American friend Frances Tiafoe, rallying from a set down to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 and reach his maiden Grand Slam final.
The 23-year-old will now battle Alexander Zverev of Germany, who cruised past Karen Khachanov of Russia in straight sets, in Sunday’s championship match.
If Shelton wins that, he would become the first American man to lift a major trophy since Andy Roddick did the job at this very venue back in 2003, a drought that has outlasted the careers of James Blake, Mardy Fish, John Isner, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz, all of whom knocked on the door without ever breaking it down.
The semi-final itself was no walk in the park. Tiafoe came out swinging and nabbed the opener 6-4, but Shelton found his groove and reeled off back-to-back 6-3 sets to flip the script.
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Tiafoe fought hard to push it to four sets and saved the first match point after Shelton missed a backhand, but double-faulted on the second to hand Shelton a place in the final.
Shelton keeps rare company as fourth lefty finalist of the century
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Shelton becomes just the fourth left-handed man to reach a Grand Slam final in this century, joining Goran Ivanisevic, Mariano Puerta and Spanish great Rafael Nadal in an illustrious list.
Ivanisevic’s lone final of the era came at Wimbledon in 2001, where he finally slayed his demons and beat Patrick Rafter in five sets after three heartbreaking runner-up finishes in the 1990s.
Puerta had his moment in the sun at the 2005 French Open, though he ran into a rampaging young Nadal and fell in four sets.
Related: Records Ben Shelton set with five-setter win over Carlos Alcaraz
That match, as it turned out, was just the opening chapter of a Nadal era that produced 30 Grand Slam finals between 2005 and 2022, with 22 of them ending in his win, including 14 at Roland Garros alone. Now, Shelton joins that lineage.
How many left-handed men have reached a Grand Slam final this century?
Four: Goran Ivanisevic (2001 Wimbledon), Mariano Puerta (2005 French Open), Rafael Nadal (30 finals between 2005 and 2022) and now Ben Shelton.
Who did Ben Shelton beat to reach the US Open final, and by what score?
He beat Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-final.
Who will Ben Shelton face in the final, and what would a win mean for him?
He plays Alexander Zverev, who beat Karen Khachanov in straight sets. A win would make Shelton the first American man to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
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