Carlos Alcaraz leaves US Open healthy and smiling despite quarterfinal loss to Shelton

Carlos Alcaraz’s US Open title defense ended with a heartbreaking five-set defeat by Ben Shelton, but the Spaniard insisted he leaves New York smiling after proving he can compete at the highest level again without injury concerns.

Shelton outlasted Alcaraz 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a grueling four-hour, 28-minute quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m. Wednesday, making it the last final match in US Open history.

Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak at Grand Slam tournaments has ended. but the seven-time major champion was more focused on what he got out of his first tournament since returning from a right wrist injury.

“Like I said before the tournament started, I expected to go there and compete and play the kind of matches to be healthy,” Alcaraz told reporters after his clash with Shelton.

“It was close. It was close. So I’m not going to be disappointed that I didn’t win in the end. I’m just happy. I’m proud of myself, how I fought.”

HEALTH OVER THE HEART

The quarterfinals were a brutal physical test for both players. Alcaraz admitted he was exhausted after the third set but managed to dig deep and force the match into a deciding tiebreak.

“After the third set I was really tired physically, but I found a way to get up there and give extra physically,” Alcaraz said.

“I started to feel better and better in the fifth set, but I was playing against one of the best. He’s a beast. Shelton is an incredible player, strong. He was just able to play really, really well in every situation, so credit to him.”

The Spaniard had his chances in the deciding tiebreak, winning four points in a row to advance 5-3. But Shelton responded with his characteristic power, using his blistering serve and capitalizing on an error from Alcaraz.

The American ended up sealing one of the biggest wins of his career with a 146 mph ace that Alcaraz had no chance to return.

SHELTON ENDS DEFENSE

Shelton took control earlier in the match by winning nine consecutive games from the second set to the third, only for Alcaraz to produce another remarkable fightback.

Despite being physically exhausted and even throwing up before the start of the final set, Alcaraz refused to give up and forced Shelton into a deciding tiebreak.

But Shelton held his nerve to reach his third Grand Slam semifinalwhere she will face eleven seed Frances Tiafoe.

For Alcaraz, the defeat means he will have to wait for his next US Open title. His previous appearance in the finals of the tournament came in 2022, when he defeated Jannik Sinner at 2:50 a.m. in the quarter-finals before claiming his first Grand Slam title.

This time there will be no trophy at the end of the journey. But after months of uncertainty surrounding his wrist injury, he offered Alcaraz something equally valuable as he went through a punishing five-set battle.

“But I’m leaving the court happy,” Alcaraz said. “I’m leaving the court smiling, healthy, and that’s what I needed.”

After four hours and 28 minutes of physical and emotional punishment, Alcaraz lost the match. But he also found reassurance that his body was ready to compete again.

– The end

Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

09 Sep 2026 19:51 IST