Ben Shelton secured a dramatic five-set victory over Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open quarter-finals early Wednesday morning, marking a historic late finish at Flushing Meadows. The match concluded at 3:34 a.m. local time, breaking the previous record for the latest finish in tournament history.

Shelton won 6-7 (5/7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10/7) in a contest that lasted four hours and 28 minutes. This result handed Alcaraz, the reigning champion making his return after a four-month injury hiatus, his first loss to Shelton in their careers and ended his bid to defend the title. Shelton praised Alcaraz after the match, describing it as an intense and physical battle against one of the sport’s greatest champions at the age of 23.

With this victory, Shelton matched his best US Open performance from three years ago by advancing to the semi-finals, where he will face Frances Tiafoe. Tiafoe reached the semi-finals after overcoming Alex Michelsen in another five-set match, winning 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10/6). Michelsen, ranked 46th and playing in his first Grand Slam quarter-final without dropping a set, had served for the match at 5-4 in the third set. Tiafoe acknowledged his opponent’s mistakes, including double faults, which aided the comeback.

On the women’s side, Aryna Sabalenka advanced to her sixth consecutive US Open semi-final by defeating 21-year-old Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 7-6 (10/7). Sabalenka mounted a late rally in the deciding set after falling behind 4-2, describing the match as a hard-fought battle that pushed her to her limits. She credited a moment of resilience for her ability to stay aggressive and secure the win.

Sabalenka’s next opponent will be Jessica Pegula, who defeated fellow American Emma Navarro 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 to reach the semi-finals. Pegula and Sabalenka previously met in the 2024 US Open final, which Sabalenka won, marking Pegula’s only appearance in a Grand Slam title match so far.

The US Open’s quarter-final round saw high drama on both the men’s and women’s sides, highlighting emerging talents and established stars vying for a place in the final stages of the tournament.