Ben Shelton Comes Up Empty in U.S. Open Final

After a stellar U.S. Open for Florida alumnus Ben Shelton, he fell short in his first Grand Slam final. His attempt to become the first American to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick in 2003 was ended by No. 1 Alexander Zverev. 

The match ended in four sets with a final score of 6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2. This is Zverev’s third Grand Slam final and second title, having won the French Open in June. 

“I’m going for it here, and I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton said before the match. 

And leave it all on the court he did. Despite a few evident nerves in the first three games, Shelton began to show why he’s one of America’s best. 

For the first time in 66 straight service games, Shelton was able to break Zverev’s serve in the third set, forcing Zverev to win in the fourth set. 

Earlier in the tournament, Shelton shocked the fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium with a 5-set win against No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz. 

“You know, I was playing against someone, he is a beast, you know?” Alcaraz said. “Shelton is an unbelievable player, powerful. He just managed to play really, really well in every situation, so credit to him.” 

Three days later, Shelton ended fellow American No. 11 Frances Tiafoe’s run at the U.S. Open in four sets, largely due to the development he’s had in his service. 

Despite Tiafoe’s attempts to slow the match’s tempo, Shelton maintained his own pace.

This was his downfall against Zverev. Throughout the match, Zverev controlled the game’s speed with his long serving routine and serve-clock management. 

Unlike Shelton who plays quickly from behind the line, Zverev takes time to prepare and potentially psych out his opponents. At one point in the match, Zverev bounced the ball 17 times before serving, although he said he didn’t do so intentionally. 

“You guys brought me to the place that I’m here today; the position that I want to be in,” Shelton said while accepting his finalist trophy. “I’m just getting started, and I’ll be back here again.”

For finishing as the runner-up at the U.S. Open, the Buchholz graduate earned a prize of $2.8 million and 1,300 points added to his ATP ranking. With these points, Shelton will rise to No. 4 in the world, ranking only behind Zverev, Alcaraz and No. 3 Jannik Sinner.

Category: Former Gators, Gators Tennis