Ben Shelton becomes first Black American man in US Open final since Arthur Ashe

American Ben Shelton continued his tremendous run through the US Open.

Shelton defeated fellow American and close friend Frances Tiafoe 4‑6, 6‑3, 6‑3, 7‑5 in the semifinals of men’s singles on Friday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.

Shelton advances to his first Grand Slam final on Sunday, where he will face No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev. He followed up his victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in an epic five‑set quarterfinal with another strong performance against Tiafoe, who also won a five‑set match to reach the semifinals.

Shelton will be looking to break a 23‑year drought for American men in major championships. The last American to win a major was Andy Roddick, who captured the US Open in 2003.

Shelton also became the first Black American man to advance to the US Open final since 1972, when Arthur Ashe accomplished the feat.

In women’s doubles, American Taylor Townsend achieved the career Grand Slam along with partner Katerina Siniakova. The top‑seeded pair defeated Ashlyn Krueger and Robin Montgomery 5‑7, 6‑0, 6‑2 to win the championship on Friday afternoon.

The US Open title was the fourth and final piece of the career Grand Slam for Townsend and Siniakova. They won Wimbledon in 2024, the Australian Open in 2025 and the French Open earlier this year.

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