Ben Shelton is going against a whole lot of history in Sunday’s U.S. Open final: a 23-year Grand Slam drought by American men; an even longer 51-year dry spell by black American men; his own winless record against Flushing finals foe Alexander Zverev.
All the negative numbers add up. And the sum total is ugly.
Shelton, though, is undaunted.
“For me, this whole tournament now at this point has been uncharted territory,” Shelton said. “I’m in positions I’ve never been in before. I’ve beaten guys that I’ve never beaten before. I’m just excited to put it all out on the line. Yes, I can think about how cool this moment is and what I’m playing for.
“At the end of the day, I’m here in New York, hanging out with my team, with my homies, playing a little tennis. And I’ve been able to downplay the moment pretty well.”
It’s admittedly a lot to downplay, having already broken through to reach his first Grand Slam final — and become the first black American to make one since MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996, or the first at the U.S. Open since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
But Shelton’s goals are set even higher.
He’s aiming to break a string of 90 straight majors without an American winner, become the first to win a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in 2003, and the first black American to claim one since Ashe at Wimbledon in 1975.
None of that appears to faze him.
Maturing both on and off the court, Shelton is 4-0 this year in finals.
“Don’t want to jinx him here, but if you look at his record throughout his career, he’s played well on Sundays,” Shelton’s father/coach Bryan said. “That’s where he wants to be. He feels like he’s going to play his best tennis at the end of [tournaments]. So, glad he has a chance at the U.S. Open.”
This tournament is a different test from the ATP Masters 1000 Canada, Stuttgart, Munich and Dallas. And the top-seeded Zverev is a different challenge. But Shelton is in a good headspace coming into their meeting.
“I think I handle these big situations I have in my career pretty well. I feel that confidence and belief take over,” Shelton said. “The nerves are always there. It’s something you’ve got to lean into. The nerves are as much there in the first round for me as in the semifinals, and I’m sure the finals will be the same. It’s something you’ve got to be able to overcome.
“But for me, I’m having fun. I’m playing against the No. 1 seed, Grand Slam final, playing against a Grand Slam champion trying to get my first. It’s a lot of reasons that this is an enjoyable moment for me and knowing I can leave it all out there on the court and push myself to the absolute limit in every way and see what I can do is an exciting, exciting thought.”
Shelton is 0-5 against his veteran foe. But the big-hitting lefty has Zverev’s attention.
“Ben is a big, powerful guy,” Zverev said. “Massive serve, massive groundstrokes. Everything he does is just big.”
The head-to-head history bodes ill for Shelton. The Floridian won the opening set of their first meeting back in 2024 but hasn’t taken one since.
But after being winless against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Carlos Alcaraz, Shelton beat both in this tourney. After having lost to Frances Tiafoe here two years ago, Shelton beat him in the semifinals to get to Sunday.
“Problem-solving has been the name of the game here,” Shelton said. “I was 0-1 against Stef, 0-3 against Carlos. [Tiafoe] beat me the last time we played on this court. It’s been a lot of uphill battle, so I’m fully ready for the challenge to problem-solve.
“I’m a different player. I have so many more tools. I feel like I know my identity, am comfortable in my own skin, and I know what it takes for me to be playing top-level tennis. … So, I’m looking forward to the challenge, being able to problem-solve on Sunday. I know what I’m up against, and I’m also the most confident I’ve ever been in my game.”
