Players having celebrity moments at Arthur Ashe is nothing new. Getting distracted by one in the middle of the biggest match of your career is. On Friday, Jalen Brunson nearly hijacked the US Open semifinal without touching a racket.
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The Knicks superstar became part of Ben Shelton’s mental battle against Frances Tiafoe. In a three-hour-plus fight for his first Grand Slam final, Shelton admitted he kept looking up whenever Brunson flashed on the big screen.
Shelton earned a hard-fought 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Tiafoe to advance to his first career Grand Slam final. Speaking to the crowd during his post-match on-court interview, the No. 8 seed admitted that keeping his eyes on the court proved challenging whenever the video board highlighted New York Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson sitting courtside.
“It’s not easy playing here at Arthur Ashe,” Shelton said following his semifinal victory. “You’re playing in front of all your favorite athletes and movie stars, so to be able to keep your head down and focus for over three hours is not an easy task.”
The young American then sent the crowd into fits of laughter and cheers by pointing out the specific guest who kept catching him off guard.
“I keep on looking up at the screen like, ‘Oh shoot, Jalen Brunson is here,'” Shelton admitted, sending the crowd wild. New Yorkers in the house were in raucous agreement.
Only last week, Brunson firmly rejected the ‘King of New York’ crown on Road Trippin’. But to the Empire State, the captain who ended the 53-year championship drought is undisputed royalty.
Shelton himself fed off New York’s winning energy. Friday’s victory puts him just one win away from becoming the first American man to capture a major singles title since Andy Roddick in 2003.
Coco Gauff has already shown how quickly a celebrity sighting can get into a player’s head at Arthur Ashe Stadium. During her 2023 third-round match against Elise Mertens, Gauff looked up at the video board while trailing by a set and spotted Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber, with Jimmy Butler nearby.
She later admitted she was starstruck and thought, “I can’t lose in front of Justin Bieber.” Gauff went on to complete a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 comeback without dropping a game in the deciding set and even joked afterward that she hoped Beyoncé would never be shown on the screen during one of her matches. Gauff is not alone either.
Even Carlos Alcaraz admitted in 2023 that he notices celebrities in the stands and sometimes catches himself thinking, “Oh, my God, he’s there or she’s there,” while Frances Tiafoe has arranged courtside seats for rapper Pusha T and acknowledged him during a match. Arthur Ashe has always been packed with stars, but Shelton repeatedly looking up at Jalen Brunson shows how quickly that spectacle can become part of the concentration battle.
Seated in a star-studded section alongside his wife Ali, fashion icon Anna Wintour, and Hollywood actor Ben Stiller, the reigning NBA Finals MVP and champion received the loudest ovation of the entire evening. Even in a stadium packed with A-list celebrities including Spike Lee, Rami Malek, Salma Hayek, Kevin Hart, and former New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson, the arena erupted into a deafening roar when the camera panned to the Knicks point guard, confirming that his status as the undisputed King of New York remains unmatched following the team’s historic 2026 championship run.
The roar for Brunson completely dwarfed the applause given to surrounding Hollywood stars, highlighting his immense popularity across the city. The fan frenzy was so overwhelming that it even derailed the ESPN broadcast team mid-match.
Lifelong Knicks fan and 4x US Open champion John McEnroe completely lost his train of thought on air when the camera focused on the celebrity suite. “And look who’s…” McEnroe started before seemingly fumbling over his words. After a brief pause, the legendary tennis commentator offered a heartfelt token of gratitude to the point guard.
“Thank you, sir.” McEnroe’s excitement was so intense that he initially ignored his friend and co-star Ben Stiller, who was sitting right next to Brunson in the same frame. “I don’t mean… Ben, you play at my club. I love you too,” McEnroe joked on the broadcast, attempting to smooth over the comedic oversight. “But the gentleman to his right, Jalen Brunson. Oh my God, was he incredible in the playoffs last year.”
Incredible indeed. Brunson led the Knicks to their first NBA title in 53 years during the 2026 NBA Finals, earning Finals MVP honors after averaging 28.4 points per game in the postseason and capping off the championship with a legendary 45-point performance in Game 5 against the San Antonio Spurs.
Having drawn inspiration from watching New York’s championship hero in the stands, Shelton now turns his sights toward making history of his own on Sunday. Facing top seed Alexander Zverev in the final, Shelton will enter as the underdog with an 0-5 head-to-head record against the German star.
However, backed by a dominant 20-ace performance against Tiafoe and the thunderous support of the New York crowd, the young American aims to replicate Brunson’s championship execution and bring a major title back to American men’s tennis.