New York, September 14, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Ben Shelton said reaching Grand Slam finals is where he wants to be more often after his US Open title bid ended with a defeat to Alexander Zverev in the championship match.
The American, who is currently the top-ranked player from the United States, lost to top seed Zverev 3-6, 6-7 (2), 7-5, 2-6 in the final. Shelton had been attempting to become the first American man since Andy Roddick in 2003 to win a Grand Slam singles title.
Reflecting on his run, Shelton said playing on the biggest stage had given him a feeling he wanted to experience again.
“That’s such a cool moment walking out on that court today. There’s nothing — I’ve never felt anything like that before. It’s an addicting feeling being in positions like this,” Shelton told reporters.
Shelton had suffered early exits at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier this year but produced a strong turnaround at his home Grand Slam to reach his first US Open final.
“For me, it sucked the last couple Grand Slams sitting at home for 10-12 days while the tournament was still going on. Watching everyone else run through the draw,” he said.
Although disappointed by the final defeat, Shelton said the experience would motivate him to push for more opportunities at the business end of major tournaments.
“It’s motivating losing the finals, but this is the position that I want to be in. I’ve always, my whole life, had guys out in front of me, guys that I’m chasing,” he added.
Shelton also discussed an issue involving Zverev’s serving routine during the final. He said he did not want to remain in a fixed return position for an extended period while waiting for his opponent to begin serving.
“There is not an athlete in the world who is going to watch them do their thing and sit in the ready position for 30 seconds before the play starts,” Shelton said.
He explained that the umpire had told him to get to the line earlier, but Shelton argued that he was always ready when Zverev actually began his serving motion.
“I promise you there will never be a time where he serves and I’m not ready,” he said.
Shelton also criticised the rule requiring the receiver to be at the line while an opponent goes through a lengthy pre-serve routine.
“He should be able to start it. He never does less than 10 bounces, so I’m always going to be ready when he’s ready to serve,” he said.
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