US Open: Shelton Sends Flushing Meadows into a Frenzy by Defeating Alcaraz; Sabalenka Survives Noskova and Will Face Pegula in the Semifinals

Ben Shelton sent the Flushing Meadows crowd into a frenzy after defeating one of the tournament's top favorites, Carlos Alcaraz, in a marathon match lasting 4½ hours. The young American used his powerful serve to defeat the Spaniard, who put up a fight throughout but paid dearly for his lapses in concentration during the second and third sets.

In the women's draw, Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka withstood a tough test on Tuesday against Czech player Linda Noskova to advance to her sixth consecutive US Open semifinal, where she will face American Jessica Pegula.

Shelton's serve and Alcaraz's unforced errors proved key

The night match, the one most eagerly anticipated by fans, started off evenly, but Alcaraz managed to win the first set by a narrow 7-6 margin. However, Shelton came back strong and swept the Spaniard aside in the second set (1-6) and defeated him again (6-3) in the third, in which the Murcia native showed some improvement.

The third set seemed to have revived the former world No. 1, who mercilessly crushed the local hero 6-1 and entered the super tiebreak on a roll. However, Shelton, relying on his powerful serve, and a series of unforced errors by Alcaraz—unusual for the Spaniard—managed to clinch the victory.

Shelton vs. Tiafoe: An All-American Final

The American will face his compatriot Frances Tiafoe, in the semifinals, who secured an epic victory over the young Michelsen by a score of 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, and 7-6 (10/6).  Big Foe found himself down two sets and 5-4, but a shaky Michelsen shot himself in the foot with two consecutive double faults while serving to seal the biggest win of his career.

Tiafoe seized the opportunity to stage a comeback that culminated in a super tiebreak after four hours and 39 minutes.

Michelsen, 22, broke down in tears in Tiafoe's arms over the crushing defeat. "I tried to keep my composure, and I didn't do a very good job of it," he told the press. Tiafoe "said a lot of very kind, personal things to me: that I was young and that someday I'd be right there. He's a great guy for comforting me at that moment." "I've been there, and I know how much it hurts (...) He's one of my best friends on the tour," said Tiafoe.

At 28, the American earned a third chance at the semifinals following his 2022 loss to Alcaraz and his 2024 loss to Taylor Fritz.

Sabalenka Survives Noskova

Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka withstood a tough test on Tuesday against Czech Linda Noskova to advance to her sixth consecutive U.S. Open semifinal, where she will face local favorite Jessica Pegula.

This marathon day of quarterfinals kicked off with Sabalenka's victory over Noskova by 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, and 7-6 (10/7). The world No. 1, who has reached the semifinals every year since 2020, needed the win to stay in contention for the top spot in the WTA rankings.

To leave New York as the number one, she must win the title and her closest rival, Elena Rybakina, must fail to reach the semifinals on Wednesday in her match against China's Zheng Qinwen, the tournament's big sensation.

Four women could leave New York as the world No. 1

If Rybakina were to falter, it would open the door to the No. 1 ranking for three players: Sabalenka, Pegula, and Coco Gauff, all of whom must win the title. But all of Sabalenka's plans were nearly derailed by Noskova, who, at 21, is bringing her immense talent on grass to the fast courts.

With a masterclass on serve (18 aces) and plenty of composure, the Czech didn't crumble when she lost the first set in a tiebreak after trailing 4-1. Noskova then snatched Sabalenka's first set of the tournament and put her up against the wall in the decisive set by taking a 4-2 lead.

With everything on the line, Sabalenka dug deep to take the match to a heart-stopping super tiebreak, in which the two traded shot for shot until a blistering ace on the Belarusian's second serve sealed the victory.

"What a battle—she's such an incredible player. I pushed myself to the limit in this match," Sabalenka acknowledged in comments reported by AFP, before explaining the strategy she used to pull through. "Honestly I thought the match was over and that helped me relax and go for my shots," she explained.

Pegula vs. Sabalenka for the Third Consecutive Year

For the third year in a row, Sabalenka will face Jessica Pegula, whom she defeated in the 2024 final and the 2025 semifinals. The world No. 3 will look to avenge those losses after Tuesday's hard-fought victory over fellow American Emma Navarro, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

"It was really tough," Pegula said after the two-hour, 21-minute battle in which the two players traded nine breaks. "It was very physical, humid. I didn't serve my best and had to face a lot of demons out there," said Pegula, who at 32 is still fighting for her first Grand Slam title.