With three American men in the quarterfinals from the bottom half of the US Open draw, Carlos Alcaraz was the only one standing between one of the Americans and a Grand Slam title since 2003. But when the former World No. 1 Spaniard faced Ben Shelton in the highly anticipated quarterfinals in New York, not many expected how things turned out.

Carlos Alcaraz Fights His Body at 2 am Against Ben Shelton in New York

Having won the first set in a close tiebreak, it looked like smooth sailing for Carlos Alcaraz in New York. However, the ride ahead was extremely rough, as the Spaniard visibly struggled with his body and suffered a serious energy drop during the second and third sets. Being the champion he is, he fought back in the fourth set, after which fans were met with a gruesome scene.

Sitting on the bench during the changeovers, Alcaraz vomited in his towel, with the Spaniard clearly suffering from signs of physical exhaustion. By then, the clock had gone past 2 in the morning, but the Spaniard did not want to let go of his crown. Alcaraz was not interested in smiling for the cameras as he waved away the courtside ones during the sitdown, but unfortunately, one of them did catch the seven-time Major champion having a torrid time. The Spaniard also had a tumble during the latter stages of the match, landing on all fours but was not injured.

Carlos Alcaraz Thrills the Crowd With Amazing Points in the Third Set Before Making His Comeback in the Fourth Set

With his energy down, Alcaraz fans saw the rare occurrence of the Spaniard dropping six consecutive games to lose the second set 6-1. The second seed struggled to hold serve, as he fell 3-0 down in the third set, making it a losing streak of nine games. However, that did not stop the former World No. 1 from going for magical shots in the third set. At one point, the Spaniard made an excellent volley at the net and finished the point with a backhand winner.

With Shelton serving at 5-3, Alcaraz still tried to make a dent in the third set. Then, with the American serving at 30-30, the Spaniard tracked back to follow a chop shot, and then hit a forehand winner on the half turn, which gave him a break point. However, Shelton used his serve to get out of the game, winning the third set 6-3.

With Alcaraz seemingly on the ropes, the two-time US Open champion raised his level in the fourth set through sheer will. His team was right behind him from the courtside, with the message being: “Even though you’re tired, keep fighting”.

Alcaraz got an early break in the fourth set and then ran away with it to win it 6-1. To have two 6-1 sets in such a high-quality match was ironic in itself, but it also showed that there were particular patches in the match when one player was completely dominant.

Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton Have the Latest Finish at the US Open

With the US Open schedule a regular subject of debate in the last couple of weeks, the ongoing clash between Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton will only add to the criticism. With the previous matches of the day running long, the match did not start before 11, and risked running deep into the morning should the two players have an epic outing.

The 3:33 finish for the Alcaraz-Shelton match at the US Open is the latest finish in the tournament’s history. The previous match that held the record also featured Alcaraz, who took on Jannik Sinner in their iconic 2022 quarterfinal clash, which ended at 2:50 a.m.

The finish for the Alcaraz-Shelton match would be the fourth post-2 a.m. finish at the US Open, with three of the first six days already stretching beyond that timeframe, with the likes of Venus Williams and Alexander Zverev playing late in the morning. However, the latest Slam finish belongs to the Australian Open, with the third-round clash between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis ending at 4:34 a.m. in 2008.

Ben Shelton Brings the Phone Out for Carlos Alcaraz

Having clinched the victory, Shelton brought out his famous phone celebration, mimicking a phone to his ear and asking the crowd to cheer. The American had unveiled the celebration in 2023, when he made his first semifinal run, but in a huge irony, the veteran Novak Djokovic responded with the same celebration after the Serb closed out a straight-set victory. However, the win against Alcaraz was not without its obstacles.

Going into the fifth set, the momentum was with Alcaraz, and the Spaniard had only one five-set loss before this in his career. Each player held serve until 6-6, with both saving break points en route to the tiebreak. It was the home favorite who took the early initiative by taking a 3-1 lead, only for Alcaraz to win four straight points to take it to 5-3.

However, Shelton took it to 5-5, and then tied at 6-6. He got yet another crucial mini-break to take an 8-6 lead. Having two serves at 8-7, the match was on Shelton’s racket. He won the first point with a second serve at Alcaraz’s body, and then clinched the match point with a thunderous ace, closing out the contest that lasted over four hours.

Ben Shelton Makes a Small Snafu While Thanking His Family and Friends

Finishing the match at half past three would be an inconvenience for anyone, including Shelton’s family. That’s why the American had a cheeky comment during his on-court interview.

“I just hope my sister doesn’t have to be at work at 6 am,” said Shelton in his on-court interview. However, when the camera panned towards his girlfriend, Trinity Rodman, in the stands, she was seen saying, “What about me?”

For Rodman, there is no immediate overlap with the NWSL, as her team, the Washington Spirit, is due to play its next match on September 12, by which time Shelton will have played his semifinal match against Frances Tiafoe and could be in his maiden Grand Slam final.