Carlos Alcaraz leaves US Open healthy and smiling despite Shelton quarterfinal defeat

Carlos Alcaraz's US Open title defence ended in a five-set defeat to Ben Shelton, but the Spaniard left New York smiling after a gruelling four-hour battle, taking confidence from completing his first major tournament since returning from a wrist injury.

In Short

• Alcaraz loses to Shelton in latest-finishing match in US Open history
• Spaniard leaves New York healthy after first tournament since wrist injury
• Shelton wins marathon thriller to reach his third Grand Slam semifinal

Carlos Alcaraz's US Open title defence ended in a heartbreaking five-set defeat to Ben Shelton, but the Spaniard insisted he was leaving New York with a smile after proving to himself that he could once again compete at the highest level without injury concerns.

Shelton outlasted Alcaraz 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) in a gruelling four-hour, 28-minute quarterfinal that finished at 3:33 a.m. on Wednesday, making it the latest-finishing match in US Open history.

Alcaraz's 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments came to an end, but the seven-time major champion was more focused on what he had gained from his first tournament since returning from a right wrist injury.

"As I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play in these kinds of matches, for me being healthy," Alcaraz told reporters after his clash with Shelton.

"It was close. It was close. So I'm just not going to be disappointed about not getting the win at the end. I'm just happy. I'm just proud about myself, about how I fought."

HEALTH OVER HEARTBREAK

The quarterfinal was a brutal physical examination for both players. Alcaraz admitted he was exhausted after the third set but managed to dig deep and force the contest into a deciding match tiebreak.

"After the third set, physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up and to physically give extra," Alcaraz said.

"In the fifth set I just started to feel better and better, but I was playing against one of the best. He is a beast. Shelton is an unbelievable player, powerful. He just managed to play really, really well in every situation, so credit to him."

The Spaniard had his chances in the deciding tiebreak, winning four consecutive points to move ahead 5-3. But Shelton responded with his trademark power, using his booming serve and capitalising on mistakes from Alcaraz.

The American finally sealed one of the biggest wins of his career with a 146 mph ace that Alcaraz had no chance of returning.

SHELTON ENDS DEFENCE

Shelton had taken control earlier in the contest by winning nine consecutive games from the second set into the third, only for Alcaraz to produce another remarkable fightback.

Despite battling physical exhaustion and even vomiting before the start of the final set, Alcaraz refused to surrender and forced Shelton into a deciding tiebreak.

But Shelton held his nerve to reach his third Grand Slam semifinal, where he will face No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe.

For Alcaraz, the defeat means he will have to wait for his next US Open title. His previous appearance in the tournament's latest-finishing match had come in 2022, when he defeated Jannik Sinner at 2:50 a.m. in the quarterfinals before going on to win his maiden Grand Slam title.

This time, there would be no trophy at the end of the journey. But after months of uncertainty surrounding his wrist injury, simply making it through a punishing five-set battle offered Alcaraz something equally valuable.

"But I leave the court happy," Alcaraz said. "I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed."

After four hours and 28 minutes of physical and emotional punishment, Alcaraz had lost the match. But he had also found reassurance that his body was ready to compete again.

- Ends