Shelton defeats Shapovalov to reach US Open fourth round

American tennis player Ben Shelton advanced to the fourth round of the US Open on Friday night, defeating Denis Shapovalov in a hard-fought four-set match. The victory, secured late on September 4, 2026, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, marks Shelton's first time reaching the Round of 16 at his home Grand Slam since 2023. Shelton, 23, overcame Shapovalov with set scores of 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-4. The match followed a pattern of challenging contests for the young American in the early rounds of the tournament. His first-round opponent, Tallon Griekspoor, took the opening set before Shelton rallied to win 1-6, 6-1, 7-6, 6-2. He then faced Hubert Hurkacz in a demanding four-set second-round battle, ultimately prevailing 6-3, 5-7, 7-6, 7-5. Shapovalov also navigated his way to the third round with victories over Miomir Kecmanovic in four sets and Luca Van Assche in straight sets. Shelton's win against Shapovalov extended his dominant head-to-head record against the Canadian, which now stands at 5-0. Their previous encounters have included close matches, with Shelton winning their most recent meeting in the semifinals of the Dallas Open earlier in 2026.