Ben Shelton Talks USA's Men's Grand Slam Champion Drought After Advancing to US Open Bracket Final

Ben Shelton is one win away from becoming the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title in 23 years after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the U.S. Open semifinal.

After his four-set triumph on Friday night, Shelton told the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium about potentially ending the drought.

"I'm going for it here, and I'm going to leave it all on the court," Shelton said. "I hope you guys come and back me. Let's do it for the USA."

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Andy Roddick's victory at the 2003 U.S. Open marks the last time an American man won a Grand Slam singles championship.

Shelton is just the second American man to reach one of the four Grand Slam singles titles since Roddick lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009. Taylor Fritz ended the 15-year drought at the 2024 U.S. Open, losing to Jannik Sinner in straight sets.

Standing in Shelton's way of history is No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev, who defeated Karen Khachanov in four sets on Friday.

Zverev is undefeated in five head-to-head matchups with Shelton but this will be their first meeting in 2026. The German star is seeking his second career Grand Slam victory. He won the French Open earlier this year.

The match between Shelton and Zverev will take place on Sunday at 2 p.m. ET.