Ben Shelton is one win away from ending a 23-year wait for an American men’s singles champion at the US Open. Standing between him and history is top seed Alexander Zverev, but Shelton is not planning to hold anything 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 by JioStar.
The American has already produced the run of his career in New York, beating Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling quarter-final before recovering from a set down to defeat fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semi-final.
Now, with a maiden Grand Slam title within touching distance, Shelton says he has no reason to take his foot off the gas.
“Win or lose, obviously, I’m going to be proud of myself and what I’ve done, but this is the 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 man since Arthur Ashe to reach the US Open final. He can now go a step further and become the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to lift the singles trophy in New York.
For Shelton, however, the occasion is as much about the people who helped him reach 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 also us grandkids, the opportunities that we’ve had,” he said.
“I think that’s always what I’m thinking about and what I’m grateful for when it really comes down to it. I think about the people who’ve backed me and been in my corner. Making history and being a part of history is pretty great, but obviously, the job’s not finished.”
Shelton’s semi-final against Tiafoe tested his ability to recover quickly. He dropped the opening set before winning the next three to book his place in the final, a result that also ensured he would not have to carry a five-set battle into the title clash.
“Really happy to close it out the way I did in four sets. I definitely didn’t want to have five sets on my body going into the finals, but I thought I played a clean match,” Shelton said.
“Tiafoe also played outstandingly and pushed me in so many ways. So, to be able to get through that one and win three sets in a row after dropping the first, I couldn’t be happier.”
READY FOR THE FINAL FIGHT
The victory over Tiafoe followed Shelton’s biggest win of the tournament against Alcaraz. The American fought through a four-hour, 28-minute battle against the former world No. 1, winning the deciding-set tiebreak to reach the last four.
That run has given Shelton belief, but the final presents another major challenge in Zverev, the top seed.
The American will also have Arthur Ashe Stadium behind him. Shelton expects the New York crowd to make its presence felt as he looks to turn home support into another advantage.
“The crowd will certainly be loud, backing me. New York is such a cool sports city. There’s such a great sports culture here, and I think there’s a lot of American pride, so I’ll definitely be looking to use that and play the best match that I can.”
Shelton has spent the past fortnight surviving pressure, long matches and some of the biggest names in the draw. One more win would give him his first Grand Slam title and end America’s long wait for another men’s singles champion at the US Open.
But for now, Shelton has only one thing in mind.
“I know I still have so much further to go as a tennis player and to become the best version of myself, but it is right there, one more match, and, like I said, I’ll leave everything on the court.”
US OPEN FINAL: LIVESTREAM AND TIMING
Watch Alexander Zverev vs Ben Shelton in the US Open 2026 Men’s Singles Final today, September 13, 11:30 PM onwards, LIVE on JioHotstar and Star Sports.
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