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In a massive upset, Carlose Alcaraz has been knocked out from the US Open 2026 men’s singles event.
Ben Shelton (left) won the five-set thriller to knock out Carlose Alcaraz. (AP Photo)
In a major upset, defending champion Carlos Alcaraz has been knocked out from the men’s singles event of the US Open 2026 by local favourite Ben Shelton in a pulsating five-set thriller that broke the record for the for latest finish ever at Flushing Meadows.
Shelton won 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) to beat Alcaraz for the first time in his career as he advanced into the semifinals.
Alcaraz, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, was appearing in his first tournament after a four-month injury break.
Shelton will now face countryman and No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe, who earlier staged an epic comeback to reach his third U.S. Open semifinal beating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6).
The United States is guaranteed to have a man in Sunday’s men’s singles final as it seeks its first men’s major title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
The defeat thus ended Alcaraz’s remarkable 18-match Grand Slam winning streak after a grueling battle that lasted four hour and 28 minutes.
Shelton booked his place in what will be his third major semifinal, adding to his previous runs at the 2023 U.S. Open and the 2025 Australian Open.
Shelton turned the match in his favor by winning nine consecutive games, taking a 3-0 advantage in the third set before Alcaraz mounted a spirited response.
Alcaraz is no stranger to historic late-night finishes at Flushing Meadows.
In the 2022 quarterfinals, he battled Jannik Sinner until 2:50 a.m., setting the record for the latest finish at the U.S. Open at the time. He went on to win his first Grand Slam title at just 19 years old.
The marathon encounter came on an exhausting day of quarterfinal action, with three of the four singles matches requiring match tiebreakers. The day began with Aryna Sabalenka narrowly defeating Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova as she continued her pursuit of a third consecutive U.S. Open championship.
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Ask News18Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz was eliminated from the men’s singles event of the US Open 2026 by local favorite Ben Shelton in a five-set thriller. Shelton won 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7) to advance to the semifinals.
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Feroz Khan has been covering sports for over 12 years now and is currently working with Network18 as Principal Correspondent. He embarked on his journey in 2011 and has since acquired vast experience …Read More
September 09, 2026, 13:15 IST
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