Ben Shelton beats Frances Tiafoe to reach US Open final

Ben Shelton is into the US Open final. The 23-year-old American defeated compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in a semi-final on Friday, September 12, 2026, to earn a shot at the title.

He will face top seed Alexander Zverev on Sunday. The German advanced earlier with a 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) victory over Karen Khachanov.

An emotional victory on a poignant night

The match began on an evening of commemorations for the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Shelton acknowledged the somber context after his win. "It's a difficult day to be out here playing," he said. "My thoughts and prayers go to all the families who were impacted by 9/11."

He also spoke of his relationship with Tiafoe. "First, 'Foe' is like a big brother to me," Shelton stated. Looking ahead, he declared his intention clearly: "I'm going for it here. Let's do this for the USA!"

Shelton is now one win away from ending a 23-year drought for American men in Grand Slam singles. The last champion was Andy Roddick at the 2003 US Open.

Shelton's power turns the match

Tiafoe claimed the first set after a Shelton double fault at 4-5 gave him the break. He continued targeting Shelton's backhand in the second set.

The momentum shifted with Shelton's serve. During a key service game at 3-3 in the second set, he unleashed a series of powerful deliveries. According to Sky Sports, the sequence included serves clocked at 125 mph, 144 mph, 139 mph, and 140 mph. One serve knocked Tiafoe backward to the court.

Earlier, Shelton believed he had hit a 158 mph serve, which would have been a Grand Slam record. Hawk-Eye and the USTA later reviewed and confirmed the speed was 144 mph.

Shelton broke in the fifth game of the third set to take control. His left-handed serve and impenetrable defence in the fourth set sealed the emotional win. He finished with 47 winners, including 20 aces.

Zverev's path to a third straight final

Alexander Zverev has reached his third consecutive Grand Slam final. The French Open champion admitted to a poor start at Flushing Meadows. "I really started off the tournament, and I was like, 'Well, this is pointless because I'm not going to do anything here,'" Zverev told reporters.

He was pushed to five sets in his first two rounds but has since won four straight matches without dropping a set. "I have improved a little bit, otherwise I wouldn't be in the US Open final," he said on court.

His semi-final was tight. After taking the first set with a single break, Zverev faced fierce resistance. He won a key second-set tie-break after a 35-shot rally. In the third-set tie-break, Khachanov held set points at 6-4 but missed two forehands. Zverev sealed the match with an ace.

The stage is set for Sunday

Zverev will contest his second US Open final, having been runner-up to Dominic Thiem in 2020. He said he welcomes the prospect of a partisan New York crowd supporting Shelton. "I think it's going to be a fantastic feeling playing, you know, a final in a sold-out Arthur Ashe and not in an empty one," Zverev stated. "For me, a loud and energetic crowd is always great, as long as they're fair."

Sky Sports Tennis analyst Martina Navratilova praised Zverev's major season. "What a year Zverev has had at the majors. It's been outstanding stuff," she said. Addressing the absence of some top players, she added, "There are no asterisks, he still had to get through even as a favourite."

The final match statistics from the semi-finals are shown below.