Alcaraz stunned by Shelton as girlfriend Trinity Rodman watches from the stands

Drama in New York

Ben Shelton scored one of the biggest wins of his career at the US Open quarter-finals, beating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set battle. Esquire and ubitennis report the final score as 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7), while Nine.com.au states the deciding tiebreak ended 10-7 — both describing the same match, which stretched past four hours and finished around 3:33 a.m. New York time.

Alcaraz's health struggles

According to Nine.com.au, Alcaraz appeared unwell during the match and was seen vomiting into a towel several times, yet continued playing through to the final tiebreak. Shelton sealed the win with a 235km/h ace.

Trinity Rodman in the stands

A detail that drew particular attention: Shelton's girlfriend, US national team soccer player Trinity Rodman, was shown watching the decisive stages of the match from the stands, as reported by Nine.com.au. After the win, Shelton thanked fans for staying until the early hours, saying the crowd's "USA" chants kept him going.

What's next

The victory sends Shelton into a semifinal against fellow American Frances Tiafoe, who beat Alex Michelsen in five sets, setting up an all-American clash. On the women's side, Jessica Pegula will face world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who edged past Linda Noskova in a tight three-setter. As an ubitennis commentator noted, a potential final between Shelton and German Alexander Zverev could prove telling for both players' 2026 seasons — though that remains speculation for now.

A side note — the watches

As Esquire reports, Rolex maintains a strong presence at the tournament: Alcaraz arrived courtside wearing a gold "Daytona Le Mans" watch, while Shelton has previously been spotted with a black-and-green "GMT-Master II Sprite." In the stands, Rolex watches were also worn by actor Anthony Mackie and tennis legend Roger Federer.