The last US man to win a Grand Slam singles title was Andy Roddick in 2003. And Arthur Ashe in 1968 is the last Black winner in New York

Published on: Sep 12, 2026, 15:08:25 IST

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Mumbai: In 1968, Arthur Ashe became the first Black man to win a Grand Slam singles title, at the US Open. In 1991, 25-year-old Bryan Shelton became the first Black man from the USA since Ashe to win an ATP Tour title.

On Sunday, at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, Bryan’s son Ben Shelton will hope to become the first Black player since Ashe to win a men’s singles US Open title, and the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win a Grand Slam.

These are comparisons and symmetries the 23-year-old Shelton cannot escape, or perhaps he does not want to, as he competes in his first major final.

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What he has chosen is to forge a path for himself, and find his place in the annals of tennis history. On Friday night, inside a buzzing Arthur Ashe Stadium, in front of a packed crowd in the world’s biggest tennis stadium, the world No.9 got himself within touching distance of one of the sport’s four big peaks.

Shelton battled and entertained for three hours and 17 minutes against good friend and fellow American Frances Tiafoe (also a Black player) before eventually winning 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 in the semi-final.

“Frances is like a big brother to me,” Shelton said moments after their long embrace at the net. “Every time we take to this court together, it is super special. This is where we want to be – at the tail end of the tournament. This is our favourite tournament and favourite court in the world.”

The all-American showdown between two players known to mix power with finesse was the blockbuster match of the evening. Ticket prices suggested just that, with those for the Shelton-Tiafoe match starting from $300. The first semi-final, which Germany’s Alexander Zverev won by beating Russia Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6(7), 7-6(6) had prices drop to as low as $28. (Zverev, who won his first major at the French Open, has reached his third straight Grand Slam final this year and will start as favourite on Sunday.)

That (ticket prices) is, in many ways, also a reflection of the type of player Shelton is. The powerful and eloquent left-hander is a crowd-puller who draws gasps for the might of his serve alone.

His first serves are regularly fired at around 140 mph (225 kph). And then came one mammoth strike early in the third set that showed up as 158 mph (254 kph) on the board. The US Open did later issue a statement claiming that the reading was wrong and that the serve was in fact 144 mph (232 kph). But it was enough to nearly knock the racquet off Tiafoe’s hands, who barely managed to get a shanked return back in play, although Shelton finished the point in his next shot.

In all, Shelton hammered 20 aces and hit 47 winners to 31 unforced errors.

These displays of power have become regular with Shelton since his breakthrough year on the tour in 2023. He had started that season by reaching the quarter-final of the Australian Open – which was the first time he had played a professional tournament outside the US – and ended it with a semi-final finish in New York.

“I think I’ve grown up (since then),” Shelton said, who is enjoying his most successful season on tour, with titles in Dallas, Munich, Stuttgart and the Montreal Masters. And perhaps the biggest win of his career, beating Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final.

“I’m more mature now, more focused, I know what my goal is. I know what my job is out here. I’m 100% committed to those goals.”

That was clear even before the semi-final on Friday.

In the quarter-final, he faced defending champion Alcaraz, one of the two men on the current circuit who have ruled the Grand Slams over the past few seasons. Shelton rose to the occasion and picked up a memorable five-set victory.

“That was a war, an epic match. So physical,” he had said in the post-match press conference after beating the Spaniard. “The most enjoyable match I’ve had in my career, for sure.”

Shelton’s US Open campaign has so far seen him beat former top 10 players Hubert Hurkacz, Denis Shapovalov and Stefanos Tsitsipas, before the win over second seed Alcaraz. On Sunday though, he will play the biggest match of his career so far, in his first appearance in the final of a Grand Slam.

“I’m going for it here,” he said on Friday. “I’m going to leave it all on the court.”

Zverev in year’s third Slam final

Earlier in the day, Zverev picked up a straight-sets win over the resurgent Khachanov to reach his sixth career Grand Slam singles final.

This year, he reached the final of the French Open and Wimbledon, winning in Paris.

His first-ever Grand Slam final appearance was at the US Open in 2020. In New York this year, he is top seed at a Grand Slam for the first time. A win could take him closer to the world No.1 rank.

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