NEW YORK/WASHINGTON, September 16, 2026 (by Michael Dickens)
Ben Shelton doesn’t believe he’s anywhere near the player he wants to be.
To hear the 23-year-old American describe his feelings following first foray into playing for a Grand Slam title, after he lost the US Open final to top seed Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2, Sunday afternoon, he’s motivated – and ready to get back out on the tennis court.
Perhaps, Shelton’s mindset explains why despite being weary after his run to the US Open final, which included a 3:33 a.m. quarterfinal finish against Carlos Alcaraz plus completing a total of 28 sets of tennis spread over seven matches, he’s committed to playing Davis Cup for the United States against Czechia in Prague on Friday and Saturday before heading off to represent Team World at the Laver Cup in London at the end of next week.
“I haven’t always been successful the very first time that I’ve been in finals, whether it was from when I was really young all the way up to the challenger level and now the ATP, Grand Slam level. I think that it’s an ongoing process for me. That’s the way I see it,” Shelton said, during his post-final news conference Sunday evening.
Ben Shelton knows he can find the next level 📈 pic.twitter.com/fuyKcPogCB
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 14, 2026
“Oh, yeah, I’m motivated. Disappointed with how today went. Happy with how I fought throughout the week, two weeks. Excited with the progress that I feel that I’ve made, but yeah, this one stings 100 percent,” he said.
“Yeah, it’s on to the next. Try to keep getting better and show up in Australia even stronger than I showed up here.”
Shelton showed up at Flushing Meadows looking to make a good run after winning his first ATP Masters 1000 title last month in Toronto. First, he was pushed to four sets in each of his first three wins, against Tallon Griekspoor, Hubert Hurkacz and Denis Shapovalov. Then, after a straight-set victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas, Shelton beat No. 2 seed Alcaraz in an epic five-setter that stretched across four hours and 28 minutes and finished in the middle of the night. He followed it with a spirited four-set victory over No. 11 seed and fellow American Frances Tiafoe Friday evening before facing Zverev in the title final and losing in four sets.
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Looking back on Sunday, in which Shelton not only tried to end a 23-year-old title drought for American men at the US Open but also to become the first Black American man to win the US Open since Arthur Ashe in 1968, Shelton called it “such a cool moment.”
Shelton added: “Walking out on that court today, there’s nothing like it. I’ve never felt anything like that before. Yeah, it’s an addicting feeling being in positions like this.
“Obviously for me it sucked the last couple of Grand Slams sitting at home for 10, 11, 12 days while the tournament is still going on, watching, you know, everyone else run through the draw.”
Ben Shelton walked out into Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday for a men’s singles Grand Slam final.
“It was such a cool moment.” pic.twitter.com/xESd78KwMi
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
After reaching the quarterfinals at Melbourne in January, Shelton bowed in the second round of the French Open and was bounced in the first round at Wimbledon by Finland’s Otto Virtanen in five sets.
“You know, it’s motivating,” Shelton admitted. “Losing in the final is also motivating, but this is the position I want to be in.
“I’ve always, my whole life, had guys out in front of me, guys that I’m chasing, guys that I’m trying to get on the same level as. I’m a late bloomer. That’s just the way that it’s always been. It’s no different now. …
“I don’t think I’m anywhere near the player that I want to be. I think I’m a great competitor. I think I compete really well out there on the court.”
A champion’s message to a first-time finalist 🤝 pic.twitter.com/gonM5VhhbR
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
With the US Open final behind him, the next two weeks will find Shelton across the Atlantic Ocean in Europe, first playing Davis Cup in Prague this weekend, then the Laver Cup at the O2 Arena in London the following weekend.
While fellow Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul withdrew from playing Davis Cup this week following their respective runs at the US Open and Paul will miss the Laver Cup due to a lingering injury, Shelton seems eager to get back on the tennis court – even if it means flying nearly 6,600 kilometers from New York City to Prague to play No. 1 singles for the the United States.
“I’m able to stay focused and stay there on the court for many, many hours. I think that’s going to help me in the future moving forward,” said Shelton, who will take a 38-14 win-loss record into the final months of the 2026 season.
“But, yeah, to win on Sundays, you got to play very, very high level of great tennis. Anyone that you’re playing at this stage in the tournament is going to be grooved and playing amazingly. Yeah, just got to be better.”
It takes a village 🫶 pic.twitter.com/nJFwFK4XAC
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
With Shelton’s tremendous run to the US Open final, his ranking rose to World No. 4, a career-best achievement, and he’s improved his Nitto ATP Finals qualification hopes – jumping three spots to third in the PIF ATP Live Race To Turin. After making his Turin debut in 2025, Shelton seems a sure lock to return to Italy at the end of the season and compete for the ATP’s biggest trophy.
“I still feel so many categories that I think I have a long way to go, but I think that I’ve made important improvements and changes in some of the most important categories to be able to compete at the top,” Shelton said.
“Return of serve, stability from the baseline, even my serve, the way that I go about putting together my service games has improved, and my ability to focus for long periods of time are all areas that, you know, have come together and have helped me play at the level that I’m playing.
“But I think that the pursuit and hunger to get better, to find ways that I can improve, you know, it’s just a part of who I am and something that will never change.”
See you back in New York next year, Ben 🫡 pic.twitter.com/BiGp8tL4jB
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 13, 2026
By the numbers
At age 23, Ben Shelton was the youngest American Grand Slam men’s finalist since Andy Roddick, 22, at Wimbledon in 2005, and at the US Open since Roddick, 21, in 2003.
“Quotable …”
“I definitely didn’t execute from the ground the way I wanted to. As the match went on, I wouldn’t ask myself anything more out of my backhand side, but I didn’t hit my forehand well today. I wasn’t accurate with it when I attacked with it.
“I made too many errors when I had the ball there on my strings. I either put a great return in the play and had the ball sitting up, or I was playing well from the baseline and had a forehand sitting up. I wasn’t amazing attacking on my forehand today. I wasn’t great in transition. I made too many errors, and I think that’s the big piece from me. I want to be more lethal with my forehand.
“It’s not easy, you know, playing a guy like him where the chances are – there’s very few chances. You’ve got to work hard for the points that you win, for sure, but that’s for me the piece that was lacking today.”
– US Open finalist Ben Shelton of the United States, during his post-match news conference, describing the difficulties he faced against top seed Alexander Zverev of Germany during Sunday’s US Open title match.
