Ben Shelton is ready to go to war against Alexander Zverev in the US Open final
Ben Shelton is one win away from ending a 23-year wait for a US Open men’s singles champion. Standing between him and history is top seed Alexander Zverev, but Shelton plans to hold nothing back in his first Grand Slam final.
“It’s going to be a war on Sunday. I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton said in an interview shared with JioStar.
The American had already produced the streak of his career in New York, defeating Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling quarter-final before recovering from a set down to beat compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals.
Now, with a first Grand Slam title within reach, Shelton says he has no reason to take his foot off the gas.
“Obviously win or lose I’ll be proud of myself and what I’ve done, but this is a dream. This is what I’m playing for now. It’s right in front of me and I’m definitely not going to take my foot off the gas,” he said.
HISTORY WITHIN REACH
The 23-year-old has already made history by becoming the first black American since Arthur Ashe to reach the US Open final. Now he can go one step further and become the first American since Andy Roddick in 2003 to lift the singles trophy in New York.
For Shelton, though, the occasion is as much about the people who helped him get to this point as it is about the history attached to his name.
“It means everything. A lot of people have sacrificed a lot for me to be in this position that I’m in today. My whole family, both sides of my family, have gone through a lot to give not only my parents, but us grandchildren the opportunities that we’ve had,” he said.
“I think that’s always what I think about and what I’m thankful for when it really comes down to it. I think about the people who have supported me and been in my corner. Making history and being a part of history is pretty cool, but obviously the job’s not done yet.”
Shelton’s semifinal against Tiafoe tested his ability to recover quickly. He dropped the opening set before winning the next three to book a place in the final, a result that also ensured he would not have to carry a five-set battle into the title race.
“I’m really happy that I closed it out the way I did in four sets. I definitely didn’t want to take five sets on my body going into the finals, but I thought I played a clean match,” Shelton said.
“Tiafoe also played great and pushed me in a lot of ways. So to come through that and win three sets in a row after losing the first one, I couldn’t be happier.”
READY FOR THE FINAL FIGHT
The win over Tiafoe followed Shelton’s biggest win of the tournament against Alcaraz. The American battled through a four-hour, 28-minute battle against the former world No. 1, winning a decisive set tiebreak to reach the last four.
That run gave Shelton confidence, but the final presents another big challenge for top seed Zverev.
The American will also have Arthur Ashe Stadium behind him. Shelton expects the New York crowd to make their presence felt as he looks to turn the home support into another advantage.
“The crowd is definitely going to be loud and cheering me on. New York is such a cool sports town. There’s a great sports culture here and I think there’s a lot of American pride, so I’m definitely going to try to take advantage of that and play my best game.”
Shelton has spent the last fortnight surviving pressure, long matches and some of the biggest names in the draw. One more victory would give him his first Grand Slam title and end America’s long wait for another US Open men’s singles champion.
But for now, Shelton has only one thing on his mind.
“I know I still have a long way to go as a tennis player and become the best version of myself, but it’s right there, one more match, and like I said, I’m going to leave everything on the court.”
US OPEN FINALS: LIVESTREAM AND TIMING
Watch Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton in US Open 2026 Men’s Singles Final today, September 13 from 11:30 PM LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports.
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Issued by:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
13 Sep 2026 13:52 IST