Shelton joins a legendary trio with a devastating statistic

Ben Shelton has not only reached the first Grand Slam final of his career. His qualification for the title fight at the US Open 2026 has also placed him on two historic lists that perfectly explain the significance of what the American has achieved in New York.

At 23 years and 325 days old when the tournament began, Shelton has become the youngest non-European player to reach a Grand Slam final since Juan Martín del Potro at the US Open 2009. Additionally, he is the youngest American to achieve this since Andy Roddick at Wimbledon 2005. But there is another even more exclusive statistic.

Shelton has also become the fourth left-handed tennis player of this century to reach a Grand Slam final. The American thus enters a list that includes Goran Ivanisevic, Mariano Puerta, and Rafael Nadal. That is not exactly just any company. The serve, the power of his left hand, and an increasingly strong ability to survive in moments of maximum tension have taken Shelton to a stage that seemed reserved for other names. And he has done it, moreover, in the home tournament and in front of his crowd.

Now he has one final step left. On Sunday, he will face Alexander Zverev for the US Open title, in a final that will also have a historical reading for American tennis: Shelton could become the first male Grand Slam champion from the country since Roddick, precisely the man he has now surpassed in one of the statistics.

From Roddick to Shelton. From 2003 to 2026. Twenty-three years later, the United States once again has one of its own one match away from reclaiming the crown. He plays with the other hand, yes, but has the same powerful serve and exudes more charisma than anyone. Pay attention to all the statistics that could be broken if he decides to lift the cup.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Shelton se une a un trío legendario con una estadística demoledora