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Shelton Advances to US Open Final, Faces Zverev for Title
Confirmed
In Short: Ben Shelton secured his first Grand Slam final appearance with a thrilling victory over Frances Tiafoe, setting up a showdown with Alexander Zverev.
In an epic all-American semi-final, Ben Shelton overcame Frances Tiafoe in a four-set battle, advancing to his first Grand Slam final. The 23-year-old, who also paid tribute to his late grandmother and those affected by the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago, will face Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final after the top seed beat Russian Karen Khachanov.
Shelton, the eighth seed, demonstrated his intent early with an ace, maintaining control throughout the match. Despite Tiafoe's immediate break, Shelton broke back to lead 5-3 and ultimately won the set 6-3. His performance continued in the subsequent sets, securing the match 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6).
Zverev, who has found consistency to reach all four Grand Slam semi-finals this year, will face Shelton in the final. The German top seed has not dropped a set since the second round, having started the tournament slowly but improving significantly. Zverev reflected on his journey, noting how he and his team were laughing at his poor play in the early stages of the tournament.
The final will see top seed Sabalenka face Elena Rybakina for the women's singles title, with both players aiming to achieve a rare 'three-peat' of US Open titles. Sabalenka, who has had a slow summer since her back-to-back wins at Indian Wells and Miami, will take on Rybakina in the Arthur Ashe Stadium final on Saturday, September 12 at 4pm local time (20:00 GMT).
What's confirmed
- In an epic all-American semi-final, Ben Shelton overcame Frances Tiafoe in a four-set battle, advancing to his first Grand Slam final. The 23-year-old, who also paid tribute to his late grandmother and those affected by the 9/11 attacks 25 years ago, will face Alexander Zverev in Sunday's final after the top seed beat Russian Karen Khachanov.
- Shelton, the eighth seed, demonstrated his intent early with an ace, maintaining control throughout the match. Despite Tiafoe's immediate break, Shelton broke back to lead 5-3 and ultimately won the set 6-3. His performance continued in the subsequent sets, securing the match 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6).
- Zverev, who has found consistency to reach all four Grand Slam semi-finals this year, will face Shelton in the final. The German top seed has not dropped a set since the second round, having started the tournament slowly but improving significantly. Zverev reflected on his journey, noting how he and his team were laughing at his poor play in the early stages of the tournament.
- The final will see top seed Sabalenka face Elena Rybakina for the women's singles title, with both players aiming to achieve a rare 'three-peat' of US Open titles. Sabalenka, who has had a slow summer since her back-to-back wins at Indian Wells and Miami, will take on Rybakina in the Arthur Ashe Stadium final on Saturday, September 12 at 4pm local time (20:00 GMT).
What's still developing
- As the pair meet in a Grand Slam final for the third time, Al Jazeera tells you everything you need to know: Sabalenka eliminated top-ranked American Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 in the first semifinal on Thursday, continuing her bid to join Chris Evert and Serena Williams as the only women to win three straight US Open titles.
- Rybakina said she will not put extra pressure on herself before her maiden US Open final, viewing the showdown as another chance to test herself against a rival who pushes her to the limit.
- Who : Aryna Sabalenka vs Elena Rybakina What : US Open 2026 women’s singles final Where : Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York, United States When : Saturday, September 12, 4pm local time (20:00 GMT) How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1pm local time (17:00 GMT) before our live text commentary stream.
- The top two seeds at the US Open 2026 clash in the women’s singles final on Saturday, as two-time defending champion Aryna Sabalenka takes on soon-to-be world No.
- Rybakina won just once; however, it was the biggest of the three, lifting the Australian Open title in Melbourne.
- Shelton signalled his intent with an ace hammered down the T to start the match as the pair went at each other from the outset.
- Although Tiafoe broke back immediately, Shelton remained in the ascendancy and the pressure told as he broke to lead 5-3 before seeing out the set.