US Open 2026 Day 11: Shelton Stuns Alcaraz
Ben Shelton ends Alcaraz's defence in a 3:30 a.m. epic; three women's QFs decide the semis on September 9.
Day 11 Briefing: Quarterfinals — Shelton Stuns Alcaraz, Three Women's QFs On Deck
September 9, 2026 — USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York
The 2026 US Open quarterfinals delivered the story of the fortnight overnight:
Ben Shelton outlasted two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in an epic five-set match that extended well into Wednesday morning, making history as the latest finish in US Open history — concluding at 3:30 a.m. ET.
Shelton served out the decisive tiebreak, sealing the win with a monster ace — by far the biggest victory of his career after coming up short in three previous matches against Alcaraz.
On the other side of the men's bracket,
Frances Tiafoe outlasted Alex Michelsen in a five-set thriller after dropping the first two sets,
guaranteeing at least one American in the men's semifinal. In the women's draw,
it looked as though top-seeded Aryna Sabalenka could go down against Linda Noskova, but Sabalenka rallied to win the third-set tiebreaker to keep her three-peat bid alive.
Today, September 9, the final three quarterfinals complete the slate — headlined by Coco Gauff vs. Mirra Andreeva, Elena Rybakina vs. Qinwen Zheng, and Alexander Zverev vs. Botic van de Zandschulp. All live title odds are updated in real time at WeeBet's US Open hub: /events/us-open-tennis-2026.
- Tournament0 US OpenDay 11
- Prize pool$0MRecord high
- Men's seeds remaining (top 8)0 of 8Zverev, Shelton
- Women's seeds remaining (top 6)0 of 6WTA draw
- Americans in men's semis (min)0 guaranteedTiafoe/Shelton
Yesterday's Key Results (September 8)
Tuesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium belonged to Ben Shelton. The 23-year-old American — seeded eighth — took down the defending champion in a match that played out like a five-act drama, with both players trading holds deep into the morning hours.
The two held serves throughout the final set, setting up an epic 10-point tiebreak in which Alcaraz blinked last, with Shelton getting ahead at 8-7 before serving it out.
The Shelton-Alcaraz result was the headline, but the other Tuesday men's quarterfinal produced its own drama.
Tiafoe defeated Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6
— an extraordinary comeback from two sets down by a fellow American, ensuring the men's semifinal will carry at least one Stars-and-Stripes banner.
No American man has won a tennis major since Andy Roddick took the 2004 US Open.
On the women's side,
Sabalenka defeated Linda Noskova 7-6, 3-6, 7-6
in a match that underscored just how closely contested her campaign has been in 2026.
The Men's Half: Shelton's Place in History
Six of the men's top eight seeds have now been eliminated — Felix Auger-Aliassime (3), Novak Djokovic (4), Flavio Cobolli (5), Alex de Minaur (6), Daniil Medvedev (7), and Taylor Fritz (9). Only Alexander Zverev (1) and Ben Shelton (8) remain from the original top eight
, with Alcaraz (2) now also gone. That leaves the bottom half of the men's draw to be resolved today — Zverev takes on Botic van de Zandschulp — before a Shelton vs. Tiafoe semifinal takes shape that would represent the deepest American men's run at a Slam in over two decades.
Shelton had already shown dominant form on his way to the quarterfinal, dominating Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets and winning 84 percent of first-serve points while hitting 11 aces.
The Alcaraz result validates all of that momentum with hard evidence.
Tiafoe is now in the quarterfinal at the US Open for the fourth time in the past five years,
and his resilience in clawing back from two sets down against Michelsen has sharpened his title odds entering the semis.
The Women's Half: Gauff, Rybakina, and Zheng Headline Wednesday
The quarterfinals continue on Wednesday, September 9, with Paris 2024 Olympic champion Qinwen Zheng taking on No. 2 seed Elena Rybakina
in what is the deepest head-to-head in the women's draw today.
Home favourite Coco Gauff will also look to extend her best run at Flushing Meadows since she won the title in 2023, facing No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva in the second match of the morning session.
Gauff enters the round of 16 on the heels of another convincing win, and is in arguably the best form of her career, having won nine straight matches without dropping a set.
Gauff has won all five of their previous encounters with Andreeva
, though the Russian teenager has been one of the tournament's breakout presences. The third women's quarterfinal — Jessica Pegula vs. Emma Navarro — completes an all-American matchup that promises to be a crowd favourite at Arthur Ashe.
Women's QF Matchups — September 9
| Match | Seeds | H2H (career) |
|---|---|---|
| Zheng vs. Rybakina | #8 vs. #2 | Even matchup |
| Gauff vs. Andreeva | #4 vs. #5 | Gauff leads 5-0 |
| Pegula vs. Navarro | #3 vs. #26 | All-American QF |
Title Odds: Market Impact of the Alcaraz Upset
Alcaraz's exit in the quarterfinals — the two-time defending champion falling in an overnight epic — is the single largest odds-moving event of the fortnight so far. His elimination opens the men's draw in a way that benefits Zverev (the last top seed standing) and both American contenders.
Sabalenka's narrow escape against Noskova has kept her three-peat bid intact but has likely tightened her odds margin against the field. Gauff, entering Wednesday having won nine consecutive matches without losing a set, will attract sustained market interest from traders positioning ahead of a potential final-weekend run.
Track all live shifts — men's and women's — at WeeBet's dedicated hub: /events/us-open-tennis-2026. Odds refresh continuously through each match.
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Context: The Prize Pool and Stakes
The 2026 US Open is offering a record $108 million in total player compensation — the largest package in tennis history, representing a 21% increase from 2025. The men's and women's singles champions each receive $5,500,000, a 10% increase from the $5,000,000 awarded in 2025, while runners-up receive $2,800,000.
That prize pool frames just how consequential this remaining week is. For Ben Shelton, a run to the final would represent a career-defining payday and seismic ranking implications. For Sabalenka, a third consecutive title would make her one of the most dominant US Open women's champions of the modern era.
The 2026 US Open is the 146th edition of tennis' US Open — the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year — held on the outdoor hard courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka entered as the men's and women's singles defending champions, respectively.
Alcaraz will not retain his title.
What to Watch Today (September 9)
Key men's match: Zverev vs. van de Zandschulp.
Zverev will hope to score his first career win over the Dutchman.
Van de Zandschulp entered the draw only as a lucky loser after Casper Ruud withdrew,
making any potential Zverev upset here statistically extraordinary. A Zverev win sets up a semifinal against the Shelton-Tiafoe winner — a match that would pit the tournament's last top seed against the most compelling American storyline in 20 years.
Key women's match: Zheng vs. Rybakina is the premium tactical chess match of the day. Both players rely on serve power and flat baseline ball-striking; neither concedes cheap points. Rybakina, seeded second, enters as the market favourite. Zheng, the Olympic champion, has form and ambition on her side.
All four semifinalists are confirmed by end of day Wednesday, September 9, with the women's final scheduled for Saturday, September 12 and the men's final Sunday, September 13.
The women's singles final is Saturday, September 12 at 4 p.m. Eastern; the men's singles final is Sunday, September 13, not before 2 p.m. Eastern.
Track Live Odds at WeeBet
The fastest way to follow title market movements today is WeeBet's US Open hub at /events/us-open-tennis-2026. Live odds update set-by-set, and you can place on both outright winner markets and individual match lines for every remaining quarterfinal and semifinal. Live event contracts are open now.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who knocked out Carlos Alcaraz at the 2026 US Open?
Ben Shelton eliminated two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in an epic five-set quarterfinal that became the latest finish in US Open history, concluding at 3:30 a.m. ET on September 9, 2026.
Who is guaranteed to reach the men's semifinal?
Frances Tiafoe guaranteed at least one American in the men's final four after outlasting Alex Michelsen in a five-set thriller.
Ben Shelton is also through, meaning the men's semi on that side of the draw will be an all-American affair.
Is Aryna Sabalenka still in the 2026 US Open?
Yes.
Sabalenka faced a significant challenge from No. 6 seed Linda Noskova but rallied to win the third-set tiebreaker, keeping her bid for a first major title of 2026 alive.
She advances to the semifinals.
When are the 2026 US Open finals?
The women's singles final takes place on Saturday, September 12, and the men's singles final is on Sunday, September 13. Both championship matches are played at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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