Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton met in a high-stakes men’s singles quarterfinal at the US Open, with Shelton playing in front of a home crowd in New York as fans packed the Arthur Ashe Stadium grounds for the late-session showdown.
The quarterfinal clash followed an extended delay on the tournament schedule. According to reports from El Confidencial, the players took the court after spending more than five hours waiting through pre-match training sessions and a lengthy women’s quarterfinal match that saw Jessica Pegula rally past Emma Navarro with scores of 3-6, 6-4, and 6-3.
Stakes and Tournament Context in New York
For Ben Shelton, the matchup represented an opportunity to advance deeper into a home Grand Slam and build on his previous success on hard courts in New York. The big-serving player from Atlanta entered the court backed by local support, aiming to secure a spot in the tournament semifinals.
Meanwhile, Carlos Alcaraz arrived at the quarterfinal stage following a third-round victory over China’s Yibing Wu. During that previous match, Alcaraz drew attention by altering his kit. According to El Confidencial, the Spanish star wore a tight white undershirt beneath his standard sleeveless Nike top to resolve a minor equipment issue that had caused discomfort during his second-round win against Portugal’s Jaime Faria.
Behind the Scenes: Training Routines
Ahead of the quarterfinal battle, Samuel López, coach to Carlos Alcaraz, detailed the rigorous physical and technical preparation required for elite competition. In an interview with El Confidencial, López explained that a player’s hardest workload involves up to three hours of tennis practice combined with two hours of physical conditioning.
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López noted that the training schedule remains flexible rather than rigid, adjusting dynamically to the tournament calendar. When active in events like the US Open, the coaching staff scales back training intensity to ensure the player enters each match physically fresh, reserving heavier training blocks for non-competition training periods.
What Comes Next
The winner of the quarterfinal contest between Alcaraz and Shelton advances to the US Open semifinals to face American player Frances Tiafoe, who secured his spot in the final four earlier in the tournament draw.
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