By Richard Pagliaro | Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Photo credit: Jon Buckle/ROLEX
Tactics and targets are pre-match topics Ben Shelton discusses with his dad and coach Bryan Shelton.
Locked in a dramatic duel vs. Hubert Hurkacz on Arthur Ashe Stadium, Shelton showed crowd-sourcing closing power.
Shelton broke in the final game sealing a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6(3), 7-5 triumph over Hurkacz beneath the closed roof on Ashe Stadium.
A stubborn Shelton showed toughness on pivotal points to fight into the US Open third round for the fourth consecutive year.
“I think being battle-tested is great,” Shelton said. “I don’t think you want to be playing five-setters all the time. Maybe I could have won this match more efficiently today, but I thought that, you know, a lot of it was just credit to him and the level that he started to bring.
“I think that had I not got pushed the way he pushed me today, there are so many things that I’ve wanted to clean up over the last couple of days that naturally came out and continued to improve throughout the match.”
Hurkacz out-aced Shelton 14 to 6 and struck three more winners (47 to 44) in the match.
Ultimately, Shelton’s all-court skills helped him get over the finish line. Shelton won 34 of 46 trips to net, including 12 of 18 points in the forecourt in the fourth set.
The 2023 semifinalist improved to 35-13 on the season, including a 10-2 mark during this North American summer hard court season as Shelton aims to close the Slam season with another second-week run at his favorite major.
“We’re not done yet here. I’m riding the wave,” Shelton said. “It’s been an up and down year and I’m really ready to hit my stride.
“I’m happy to play in New York and I couldn’t be more excited.”
On a day in which Alex Michelsen toppled 16th-seeded Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Grandstand this morning, Shelton hand his hands full with the big-serving Hurkacz, who fell to 0-7 lifetime in US Open second round matches.
Armed with his aggression and roaring support from Ashe Stadium fans, Shelton said he turned electric energy from fans into fuel.
“Happy to play in New York and couldn’t be more excited,” Shelton said. “It’s the only time in our sport you get to hear 20,000 people screaming your name.
“The sports culture here in New York is something you don’t experience any other place. That’s why this is the greatest tournament in the world and the greatest tennis stadium in the world.”
The 2023 semifinalist improved to 35-13 on the season, including a 10-2 mark during this North American summer hard court season.
Serving at 4-5, Shelton missed an inside-out forehand to face double set point. Hammering a couple of heavy serves, Shelton staved off both break points. Shelton rocketed a 141 mph missile down the T leveling the second set at 5-all.
Hurkacz earned a third set point in the 12th game. Scalding a forehand off the line, the Pole draw a wide error as Hurkacz, who applied pressure moving forward, stole the second set to level the match. Hurkacz won nine of 10 points in the second set.
The two-time Canadian Open champion ran off eight straight service points to force a third-set tiebreaker.
As heavy rains pelted off the retractable roof covering Arthur Ashe Stadium, Shelton, who earned the mini-break on the first point, drizzled a forehand dropper for a 3-0 tiebreaker lead.
The Hurkacz’ two-handed backhand is typically a more stable shot than his sometimes flat forehand. The former Miami Open champion flew a forehand long as Shelton sent up 4-2.
Smacking a forehand strike down the line, Shelton induced another errant forehand for a fistful of set points at 6-2.
On his second set point, Shelton pounded down a bounce smash, seizing a two sets to one lead after two hours, 16 minutes of play.
Former world No. 6 Hurkacz gained a break point in the fifth game. Shelton saved it then held strong for a 3-2 lead.
Confronting break points in the ninth game, Shelton detonated a 137 mph serve to deny the first then fought off the second break point holding for 5-4.
A crackling return left Hurkacz a bit flat-footed and he steered a forehand down the wide to face match point.
Mixing the slithering slice backhand with his forcing forehand, Shelton prevailed in a 13-shot rally inducing one final error to roar to a three hour, 24-minute triumph.
Shelton will face either Canadian Denis Shapovalov or Frenchman Luca Van Assche for a return to the round of 16.
Coming through this tough test, Shelton said he hopes to sharpen some areas of his game.
“I think obviously my spot serving is one. The last match in the beginning of the match today I wasn’t hitting my backhand great,” Shelton said. “I think that that’s something that I cleaned up a lot throughout the match today.
“Return of serve is always something I’m trying to hone in on, and I think that pretty much every match where I have a great returning day ends up being a win for me.
“I think that that’s something that kind of comes with playing multiple matches on the same surface, starting to really feel the court how, you know, the serve reacts off the court, the timing.”
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