Ben Shelton has reached his first Grand Slam final after defeating fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the US Open semi-final at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The eighth seed overcame a difficult opening set before taking control of the contest and setting up a final against world No. 1 Alexander Zverev.
The all-American clash began with Tiafoe looking more convincing. He secured the crucial break at 4-4 to take the first set, but Shelton gradually shifted the momentum in his favour. His serve became increasingly tough for Tiafoe to deal with as the match progressed.
Shelton combined his trademark power with impressive patience. The 23-year-old repeatedly turned to his serve to get out of difficult situations and kept Tiafoe under pressure while remaining composed during the longer and more demanding rallies.
The win represents another major milestone in Shelton's fast-rising career. He had previously made the US Open semi-finals in 2023, but this time he has gone a step further by reaching his first Grand Slam final in New York, where he will face Zverev.
TIAFOE STARTS STRONGLY, BUT SHELTON FIGHTS BACK
The opening set was evenly matched, with neither player able to create a significant advantage in the early stages. That changed at 4-4 when Tiafoe began putting serious pressure on Shelton's serve.
Shelton led 30-0 and looked comfortable, but Tiafoe responded with a powerful forehand winner. A series of mistakes from Shelton, including a double fault, then gave Tiafoe the break. He made no mistake while serving for the set, closing it out 6-4.
Shelton quickly turned things around in the second set. He broke Tiafoe without dropping a point, although Tiafoe immediately responded with a break of his own. Shelton continued to look increasingly confident from the baseline, and at 3-3 he created another break opportunity through aggressive play. Tiafoe eventually sent a forehand wide, allowing Shelton to move ahead.
Shelton capitalised on the opening and secured the set 6-3 to level the match.
SHELTON'S SERVE BECOMES THE DIFFERENCE
Shelton dominated the third set. He earned another early break after forcing Tiafoe into mistakes and used his first serve effectively to prevent his opponent from gaining momentum.
He also appeared to deliver one of the fastest serves of the tournament. The serve was initially recorded at 158 mph, but a subsequent review revised the speed to 144 mph. Even after the adjustment, it remained an extraordinary delivery and highlighted Shelton's enormous serving power.
Tiafoe continued to battle and pushed Shelton into a remarkable final game of the set, which featured seven deuces and three set points. Shelton remained calm during the extended battle and eventually held serve after roughly 15 minutes to take the set 6-3.
The fourth set was much tighter, with both players protecting their serves as the pressure mounted. Tiafoe regained his rhythm on the forehand and first serve, while Shelton continued to depend on his powerful delivery whenever he faced trouble.
At 5-5, Tiafoe produced an excellent volley to keep himself in contention. Shelton responded by holding serve to go 6-5 ahead. The decisive moment came in the following game when Tiafoe double-faulted, allowing Shelton to seal the victory and secure his place in his first Grand Slam final.
Shelton will face Zverev in the championship match after the German defeated Karen Khachanov in the other semi-final. Zverev has won all five of his previous meetings with Shelton, setting up another major test for the American as he attempts to become the first US man since 2003 to win the US Open men's singles title.
