Ben Shelton beats Carlos Alcaraz in the latest finish in U.S. Open history

Ben Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a record-breaking match at the U.S. Open early Wednesday morning. The match ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in the history of the tournament. Shelton won the five-set match 7-6, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6, closing it out with a 146 mph ace. Nearly 24,000 fans filled Arthur Ashe Stadium, and thousands stayed until the very last point.

The match started at 11:05 p.m. on Tuesday and felt more like a championship boxing match than a tennis game. Both players hit powerful shots from the very beginning, but neither could take control early on. Alcaraz broke Shelton's serve at 5-5 in the first set, but then made two bad forehand errors and Shelton broke back. The set went to a tiebreak, which Alcaraz eventually won after a stunning comeback from 3-5 down.

In the second set, Alcaraz struggled badly, making 17 unforced errors — mistakes caused by himself rather than great shots from Shelton. Shelton took full advantage, breaking Alcaraz's serve three separate times. He won the second set 6-1 to even the match. The nearly five-month wrist injury Alcaraz had been recovering from may have started to show.

Shelton kept the pressure on in the third set, hitting big serves and sharp groundstrokes into the corners. Alcaraz tried to wake himself up midway through, pumping his fist and fighting for points. Shelton's father and coach, Bryan, leaned out from the stands to offer encouragement during a changeover. Shelton won the third set 6-3 and stood just one set away from victory.

The fourth set seemed like it could end the match quickly, as Alcaraz looked worn out and gave Shelton several chances to break serve. But Shelton missed some key shots, and Alcaraz suddenly came back to life. He hit clever shots, shouted with energy, and took control of the set. Alcaraz won it 6-1, sending the match to a fifth and deciding set.

By 2 a.m., around 10,000 fans were still watching in the stadium. At 2-2 in the fifth set, Shelton crushed a huge overhead to save a break point and then pumped in a big serve to hold his game. He turned to the crowd and waved his racket, and the fans answered with loud chants of 'U.S.A.' His father was on his feet in the stands, cheering him on.

At 2:51 a.m., the match became the latest finish in U.S. Open history, breaking a record set in 2022. Shelton had three chances to serve out the match and win, but Alcaraz saved all three with great shots. The fifth set went to a 10-point tiebreak. Starting at 3:20 a.m., the two players played the most important points of the entire night.

Shelton won the tiebreak 10-7, completing a stunning victory. He turned to the crowd and let out a loud roar of celebration. The match lasted four and a half hours from start to finish, making for one of the most exciting nights in U.S. Open history. For Shelton, it was the biggest win of his career against one of the world's top players.