Huge upset at US Open 2026 as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz knocked out after falling to world no.9

In a dramatic late-night quarter-final upset in US Open 2026 at Arthur Ashe Stadium, home favorite Ben Shelton dethroned world No. 2 and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set epic. The eighth seed outlasted the Spaniard in a grueling battle that lasted 4 hours and 28 minutes, finally sealing victory at 3:33 am local time on Wednesday with a 7-6(5), 1-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(7) scorecard.

After dropping a nail-biting opening-set tiebreak, Ben Shelton launched a devastating counterattack. By shifting his return stance further up court and uncorking huge forehand winners, the explosive American blew through the second set 6-1 before capitalizing on an early break to pocket the third 6-3, suddenly putting the world No. 2 under immense pressure.

Alcaraz staged a brilliant fightback in the fourth, raising his intensity from the baseline to sweep through the set 6-1 and send the match to a distance. As the clock ticked past 2:50 AM, the battle officially became the latest-ending match in US Open history, eventually stretching to its final point at a staggering 3:33 AM.

With both players refusing to surrender a single break in the decider, the epic encounter culminated in a heart-pounding 10-point super tiebreak. Amid peak arena drama, Shelton showed nerve of steel on the biggest points, wrapping up the tiebreak 10-7 to claim the biggest victory of his career and punch his ticket to a second major semi-final.

Ben Shelton has the last laugh against Alcaraz

The loss halts a dominant run for Alcaraz, who had cruised into the quarter-finals without dropping momentum following his earlier four-month lay-off with a wrist injury that forced him out of Roland Garros and Wimbledon. Having completed his Career Grand Slam earlier in 2026, this setback marks his first major defeat in 19 Grand Slam matches—a streak tracing back to his 2025 Wimbledon final loss to Jannik Sinner, which he had followed up with major title runs at the 2025 US Open and 2026 Australian Open.

With Alcaraz's departure, the men's draw has been decimated, leaving just two top-10 seeds in contention. Top seed Alexander Zverev remains in the hunt as he prepares to meet Botic van de Zandschulp in the last eight, while Shelton advances to a semi-final showdown against fellow American Frances Tiafoe, marking his second final-four appearance in Flushing Meadows since 2023.