Day 10 delivered two five-set quarter-finals and, somewhat unexpectedly, a guaranteed American finalist at this year’s US Open.
Frances Tiafoe was a game away from going out in straight sets against Alex Michelsen before somehow turning the match around, eventually surviving four hours and 38 minutes despite Michelsen serving for the match in the third and then leading 3-0 in the fifth.
The bigger surprise came later as Ben Shelton knocked out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in another five-setter that finished past 3 am.
Alcaraz had looked increasingly convincing through the first four rounds, but his level was far more erratic here, while Shelton served huge, kept his backhand together and held his nerve in the deciding tiebreak.
So instead of the Alcaraz–Tiafoe rematch I expected, we get Tiafoe against Shelton for a place in the final. Not exactly the semi-final I’m super interested in, but one for the home fans and one of the pair is now guaranteed a first Grand Slam final.
Here’s a look at both Day 10 quarter-finals.
Day Ten US Open 2026 Quarterfinal Results
| Winner | Loser | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Frances Tiafoe [11] | Alex Michelsen | 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-3) |
| Ben Shelton [8] | Carlos Alcaraz [2] | 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7) |
Frances Tiafoe def. Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(6)
Frances Tiafoe somehow survived one of the most dramatic matches of the tournament, coming back from two sets down and then from 3-0 down in the fifth to beat Alex Michelsen.
For the first two and a half sets, Michelsen was clearly the better player, while Tiafoe looked pretty useless. He broke Tiafoe six times in his first 12 service games, served well, came forward and looked completely unfazed by playing his first Grand Slam quarter-final.
He then served for the match at 5-4 in the third, and that is where things started to unravel. Two double faults helped Tiafoe break back; Michelsen then failed to put away a smash later in the set, and suddenly Tiafoe had won four straight games to force a fourth.
From there, Tiafoe improved, took the fourth 6-3 and looked like the momentum had completely flipped.
Michelsen deserves plenty of credit for resetting, though, as he raced 3-0 ahead in the fifth and again looked in control. But Tiafoe dragged himself back, forced a deciding match tiebreak and was much better once they got there.
It’s a brutal loss for Michelsen, especially given he served for the match and had another sizeable lead in the fifth, and I think Tiafoe was there for the taking.
For Tiafoe, it is now a third US Open semi-final, but I’m not sure how he really got there. One of the weakest second serves on tour, and his level today was so poor, which I guess says more about the tour’s overall quality right now.
Match Stats
| Key Stats | Frances Tiafoe | Alex Michelsen |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 50 | 55 |
| Unforced Errors | 43 | 61 |
| Aces | 10 | 21 |
| Double Faults | 4 | 9 |
| 1st Serve % | 51% (93/181) | 57% (92/162) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 67% (62/93) | 73% (67/92) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 52% (46/88) | 47% (33/70) |
| Break Points Saved | 65% (15/23) | 53% (9/17) |
| Service Games | 70% (19/27) | 70% (19/27) |
| Average 1st serve speed | 195 km/h | 198 km/h |
| Average 2nd serve speed | 148 km/h | 163 km/h |
| 1st Return Points Won | 27% (25/92) | 33% (31/93) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 53% (37/70) | 48% (42/88) |
| Break Points Won | 47% (8/17) | 35% (8/23) |
| Return Games | 30% (8/27) | 30% (8/27) |
| Service Points | 60% (108/181) | 62% (100/162) |
| Return Points | 38% (62/162) | 40% (73/181) |
| Net Points | 71% (29/41) | 54% (30/56) |
| Total Points | 50% (170/343) | 50% (173/343) |
| Pressure Points | 59% (35/59) | 41% (24/59) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 6 | 8 |
| Distance covered | 3,350 m | 3,322 m |
| Total Games | 51% (28/55) | 49% (27/55) |
| Max Games In A Row | 7 | 3 |
Highlights
Ben Shelton def. Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7)
Ben Shelton produced the biggest win of his career, knocking out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-setter that finished at 3:33 a.m.
Alcaraz edged the opening set in a tiebreak, but his level dropped significantly as Shelton responded to completely take over for a spell, winning nine straight games as his serve and forehand started doing serious damage.
The American took the second 6-1, and then the third 6-3, and his backhand held up better than I expected. Still plenty of holes in his game, but he’s serving huge, and Alcaraz just wasn’t quite at the required level.
Carlos, of course, predictably hit back and raced through the fourth 6-1, so at that point it felt like Shelton might have missed his chance.
Instead, he held firm in the fifth. Neither player could create much separation, and it eventually came down to a deciding match tiebreak, where Shelton stayed aggressive and finished it with a 146 mph ace.
That gives him his first win over a Top 3 player and ends Alcaraz’s 18-match winning streak at Grand Slams. Given how Alcaraz had looked through the first four rounds, I was pretty convinced he’d win easily, but perhaps the calibre of his opponents flattered him somewhat as he looked a bit undercooked in this one.
Frances Tiafoe is next, so we are guaranteed an American finalist, and personally it’s probably the least interesting Grand Slam semi-final I can think of.
Match Stats
| Key Stats | Ben Shelton | Carlos Alcaraz |
|---|---|---|
| Winners | 34 | 38 |
| Unforced Errors | 35 | 53 |
| Aces | 7 | 3 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 7 |
| 1st Serve % | 66% (105/158) | 64% (112/175) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 70% (73/105) | 69% (77/112) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 57% (30/53) | 51% (32/63) |
| Break Points Saved | 73% (8/11) | 69% (11/16) |
| Service Games | 87% (20/23) | 79% (19/24) |
| Average 1st serve speed | 198 km/h | 187 km/h |
| Average 2nd serve speed | 167 km/h | 155 km/h |
| 1st Return Points Won | 31% (35/112) | 30% (32/105) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 49% (31/63) | 43% (23/53) |
| Break Points Won | 31% (5/16) | 27% (3/11) |
| Return Games | 21% (5/24) | 13% (3/23) |
| Points Won | Shelton | Alcaraz |
| Service Points | 65% (103/158) | 62% (109/175) |
| Return Points | 38% (66/175) | 35% (55/158) |
| Net Points | 71% (29/41) | 77% (27/35) |
| Total Points | 51% (169/333) | 49% (164/333) |
| Pressure Points | 55% (29/53) | 45% (24/53) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 8 | 8 |
| Distance covered | 4,082 m | 3,810 m |
| Total Games | 53% (26/49) | 47% (23/49) |
| Max Games In A Row | 9 | 3 |
Highlights
US Open 2026 Day 11 Quarterfinal Matches
- Alexander Zverev [1] v Botic van de Zandschulp
- Karen Khachanov v Alexander Blockx [28]
