Ben Shelton Grinds Past Hubert Hurkacz at 2026 U.S. Open

The U.S. Open has been Ben Shelton’s toughest stage in recent years. On Wednesday, the former Gator standout took a step toward changing that, advancing at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center with a hard-fought win over Poland’s Hubert Hurkacz.

Shelton claimed a 3-1 (6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5) second-round victory over Hurkacz in the U.S. Open Men’s Singles competition Wednesday.

In the opening round Monday night, No. 8-ranked Shelton took down Tallon Griekspoor, 3-1, to pair him with unseeded Hurkacz.

The three-hour, 21-minute showdown between the two wasn’t seamless. The match started off back-and-forth, splitting the first six games, before Shelton pulled away to claim the set 6-3. Despite falling in the second set, he remained steady through the next two sets, closing with his power. The third set went to a tiebreaker, where Shelton was successful in the clutch to come out on top.

He sealed the deal in the fourth set. It started the same way as the first, tied 3-3. Shelton was able to claim the match, closing out 7-5.

“It was a battle until the end,” Shelton said. “Hubi played outstanding today.”

Shelton’s 72% success on the first serve and his mental toughness helped him secure the win. However, the crowd’s support didn’t go unnoticed.

“If I was commentating I would talk about how loud this crowd was from start to finish,” he said.

Wednesday’s win advances Shelton to the third round of America’s Grand Slam, where he will face Denis Shapovalov. He will play for a chance to make it the farthest he has been in the U.S. Open since his best finish, in 2023, when he advanced to the semifinals.

The past two years Shelton has lost in the third round of the competition. He fell to Frances Tiafoe in 2024 and had to retire against Adrian Mannarino in 2025 due to a left shoulder injury.

He takes the court again Friday in Flushing Meadow.

“This last quarter of the 2026 season I’ll be full steam ahead and see what I can do,” Shelton said.

Category: Former Gators, Gators Tennis, US Open