New York, Sep 7 — Ben Shelton heaped praise on his upcoming opponent, Carlos Alcaraz, as he gears up for a stern test against the US Open defending champion.
Shelton defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas in the round of 16 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, to set up a quarter-final meeting with the Spaniard sensation. Speaking about his upcoming clash against the two-time champion in New York, the home boy highlighted how tough it is expected to be to beat Alcaraz, despite the Spaniard making a comeback from a wrist injury that had sidelined him for a few months.
"Special tennis. I think the level he’s been playing at is really, really impressive, Shelton told broadcasters after his win over Tsitsipas. "To not play for 5 months and come out and do what he’s done so far this tournament has been superhuman.
"We’re happy to have him back on tour. He lights up the stadium every time he plays. I think it’s gonna be fireworks on Tuesday night. I hope you guys come back, because I’m ready to go," he added.
Shelton not only defeated the resurgent Tsitsipas but also played a decisive role in ending a 150-year-old tennis legacy. The Greek player's exit meant that, for the first time since the inaugural Wimbledon in 1877, there will be no one-handed backhand player in a Grand Slam semifinal for a year.
No player with a one-handed backhand had reached the semi-finals this year at the Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon, and with Denis Shapovalov's loss to Shelton earlier in New York, Tsitsipas remained the only one-handed backhand player in New York.
Shelton's route to the last eight has been anything but straightforward. He was pushed to four sets in each of his opening three matches against Tallon Griekspoor, Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov. Against Tsitsipas, however, the 23-year-old delivered a far more authoritative display at Arthur Ashe Stadium, securing the win in just one hour and 51 minutes.
The result marks Shelton's sixth Grand Slam quarter-final appearance and his second at Flushing Meadows. His previous US Open breakthrough came in 2023, when he reached the semi-finals on only his second appearance at the tournament.
His recent record also underscores the level at which he is competing. Shelton is now 12-2 since the North American hard-court swing began after Wimbledon, with his run highlighted by a second ATP Masters 1000 title in Montreal. His latest victory also extended a remarkable sequence, as Shelton defeated three successive opponents who had previously ranked in the ATP Top 10.