Defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out of the tournament following a thrilling five-set defeat against America’s Ben Shelton early on Thursday morning. Alcaraz looked rusty throughout the match, failing to reach shots he would usually cover. The long injury layoff clearly affected his sharpness on court, making the result less of a surprise despite going the full five sets.
The big-hitting Shelton claimed his first career win over Alcaraz, 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7), ending the World No. 2’s hopes of retaining his title in his first tournament back after a four-month injury absence.
Defending US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz was knocked out of the tournament after a thrilling 5-set defeat against USA’s Ben Shelton
The final set turned out to be as closely fought as the first, with neither player managing a break. The match headed into a high-stakes super tiebreak, where the tension inside the stadium reached its peak. Driven by a partisan home crowd, Shelton’s relentless serving and fearless shot-making proved decisive when the match hung in the balance.
In the end, Shelton held his nerve, closing out the tiebreak 10-7 to seal a monumental victory and advance to his second Grand Slam semi-final.
his lack of match sharpness ultimately told against an opponent playing at the absolute peak of his powers While Alcaraz showed flashes of his trademark brilliance.
