Ben Shelton has once again found himself where he was three years ago: in the quarterfinals of the US Open. The American, who reached the semifinals in 2023, will be hoping to match that run and then go two steps further in 2026 as he continues his pursuit of a maiden Grand Slam title. Standing in his way is the ultimate test: defending champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Ben Shelton Begins Unusual Preparation Ahead of Meeting With Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open
Shelton entered the US Open with plenty of momentum and high expectations after successfully defending his Canadian Open title. Yet the eighth seed was given little room to ease into his New York campaign, drawing a series of dangerous opponents from the very beginning. He needed four sets to get past Tallon Griekspoor before doing the same against Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov.
In the fourth round on Sunday, September 6, Shelton found his footing, producing a convincing performance against Stefanos Tsitsipas. The American dispatched the former World No. 3 in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, to book a quarterfinal clash with Alcaraz. The one-hour, 52-minute victory, however, was apparently not enough for Shelton, who headed straight to the practice courts to prepare for his next challenge.
Ben Shelton getting a relatively training session in tonight right after making relatively light work of Tsitsipas. pic.twitter.com/O4lIrastpe
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 7, 2026
When quizzed about the decision in his press conference, the 23-year-old said, “I took the day off yesterday. I wanted to get my legs back and get back on a good schedule after playing till 2 in the morning (in the third round against Shapovalov).”
“There were a few things that didn’t feel perfect out there today that I just wanted to clean up,” he added. “Obviously, I have tomorrow to clean them up as well, but at this point, obviously, if you’re feeling good physically, that’s first and foremost most important, and then after, that just fine-tuning.”
MORE: Ben Shelton Makes Bold Statement Ahead of Facing Carlos Alcaraz at US Open
Ben Shelton will have his work cut out against Carlos Alcaraz, who has quickly returned to match-winning form after spending nearly five months on the sidelines with a wrist injury. The Spaniard has dropped just one set en route to the final eight, overcoming Roman Safiullin, Jaime Faria, Wu Yibing, and Tommy Paul. The second seed is bidding for his eighth Grand Slam title and third US Open crown. He also holds a 3-0 advantage over Shelton in their head-to-head rivalry.
