Shelton on Alcaraz: "He's an incredible legend; it means a lot to have won"

Ben Shelton delivered one of those performances that can change career trajectories and be remembered for a lifetime. The triumph of the young American against Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals of the US Open 2026 marks a turning point in his career and in the course of contemporary tennis. Hence, his comments post-match.

He had been knocking on the door for some time and bumping against the same wall, represented by the figures of Sinner and Alcaraz, but he did not give up on his effort. Ben Shelton has broken through a vital barrier to expand his influence in global tennis, and he did so in the early hours at the US Open 2026 against a great version of Carlos Alcaraz. His words at the press conference could barely disguise his emotion.

Here is what Ben Shelton said after defeating Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open 2026

Assessment of his epic victory over Alcaraz

"I am tired. It has been a true battle, an epic and very physical match. Carlos is already one of the great champions of our sport at just 23 years old. It's always fun to play against him; sometimes he does things that are simply incredible. Without a doubt, it was the match I enjoyed the most in my entire career."

How he managed his reaction after losing the first set

"I was angry, but I managed to break him in the last game before the tiebreak, and that helped me gain confidence going into the second set. I knew my serve could only get better, and since I had already managed to adjust my return to the point of breaking him, I thought I had good chances of taking the second set."

"Once I started to find my rhythm in the second set and broke him three times, it was much easier to play and hit the ball with more freedom."

The importance of feeling powerful on the return

"I returned very well. I think I was smart in how I approached my return games and managed to make him play many points. I also took advantage of his mistakes. When he couldn't find his zone, I capitalized on it, but I didn't worry too much when he managed to place his serve where he wanted and hit an ace."

"I think it was important for me to hold my ground in the rallies, to have a clear game plan from the baseline, and to be able to execute it. The fact that I wasn't losing every point from the baseline also helped me a lot when returning."

The importance of his father in this victory

"For us, it was simply a match that we enjoyed a lot. Because of the level of tennis, because of how long it was, because of the struggle that it involved, and because it was very close and had changes throughout the match, I think it's something we can appreciate. Whether we won or lost, we would have finished with smiles on our faces."

The crowd's support, vital to defeat Alcaraz

"For me, it's always about the people in the stands. Whether it's my coaches and my team, my family and friends, or the entire city of New York, who were here until three in the morning tonight. The chants of 'USA' until the end were what kept me going and helped me achieve this victory."

"It's incredible. I always say this is the best sports city in the world and that this is the best stadium in the world. I just hope that my best friend and my sister, who are here, don’t have to work at six in the morning, in three hours. It would be great if their bosses gave them the day off after this."

"No, really, I am very grateful and feel very fortunate. God has blessed me in many ways to be here tonight in front of all of you. It is an absolute honor to share the court with Carlos, and I enjoy every moment I can experience here."

Ben Shelton achieved much more than a hard-fought victory. With this triumph over Carlos Alcaraz, he not only firmly establishes his credentials for the title at the US Open 2026, but he also reaches a higher status in his career and ignites expectations for the future around him.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Shelton, sobre Alcaraz: "Es una leyenda increíble, significa mucho haber ganado"