Ben Shelton beats Carlos Alcaraz in latest-ever finish in US Open tennis in New York

The US Open has seen its latest-ever finish to a match after Ben Shelton beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz at a little after 3.30am on Wednesday.

The pair's five-set quarter-final ended at 3.33am, beating the previous latest finish at the New York tournament, when the Spaniard beat Jannik Sinner in the same round in 2022, in a match that ended at 2.50am.

The four-and-a-half-hour contest began shortly after 11pm on Tuesday, local time, after the three earlier matches on the Arthur Ashe Court all went to final sets.

Eighth seed Shelton, 23, led a visibly struggling Alcaraz two sets to one before eventually winning 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6.

The final set even went to a tie-break, which Shelton won 10-7.

Alcaraz, the second seed, has missed most of the season with a wrist injury and was short of match practice going into the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, Sky Sports said.

The seven-time Grand Slam winner appeared out-of-sorts and vomited into a towel at the end of the fourth set.

After the match, Shelton said he was hoping his best friend and his sister "don't have to be at work at 6am - in three hours. It would be huge if their employers let them have the day off today."

He thanked the "city of New York that showed up tonight until 3am, with the USA chants until the very end. That's what kept me going and got me this win tonight".

Asked to describe the match, he said it was "a war, epic match, so physical" and called it "the most enjoyable match I've had in my career".

Alcaraz, 23, said: "When matches are that close, that tight, and you end up losing after four-and-a-half-hours, well, it's never pleasant.

"But you have to look at the bigger picture. We played some absolutely brilliant tennis. The crowd ‌really enjoyed it. There were loads of people in the stadium supporting us."

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The Flushing Meadows tournament, which is known for its late finishes, has been criticised for its scheduling.

Other controversies have occurred at this year's tournament, with women's defending champion Aryna Sabalenka stopping playing in an earlier match to complain about the smell of cannabis in the arena.

Other players have made similar protests about the smell of the drug in previous years.

Smoking is not allowed inside the tournament grounds, but recreational cannabis use is legal for ⁠adults aged 21 and over in the state.

Two-time champion Naomi Osaka complained about social media influencers disrupting her first-round match after around 100 influencers and content creators were accredited for the tournament.

Shelton now plays his countryman Frances ​Tiafoe for a place in the final, ‌improving the chances of a first American men's Grand Slam champion since 2003.

(c) Sky News 2026: Ben Shelton beats Carlos Alcaraz in latest-ever finish in US Open tennis in New York