Ben Shelton dethroned reigning US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-finals during the latest-ever finish in the tournament's history.

A scintillating quarter-final clash saw Shelton prevail 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-3 1-6 7-6 (10-7) in four and a half hours as he eventually sealed the win at 3:33 am in New York.

The previous record had also involved Alcaraz, who saved a match point to edge Jannik Sinner in the 2022 quarter-finals, with that match finishing at 2:50 am.

There was little to split the pair in the first set on Tuesday, though Shelton blinked first, with Alcaraz getting a break in the 11th game, only for the American to immediately cancel out that advantage.

Alcaraz reeled off the final four points in the tie-break to take the lead, but after fending off four break points in the opening game of the second set to hold, he then failed to win any of the next six.

Shelton extended that winning streak to nine games with a strong start to the third set, and that early break was enough to help him into the lead for the first time.

Alcaraz responded brilliantly to the setback, holding off two more break points to open the fourth before cruising into a tense decider.

Both players remained solid on serve to ensure the match went all the way, and Alcaraz initially looked set to continue his run at Flushing Meadows after taking a 5-3 lead in the breaker.

However, Shelton dug deep once more to mount the comeback that saw him notch the biggest win of his career.

What a moment for @BenShelton @usopen | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/uxUFul4h7U

— ATP Tour (@atptour) September 9, 2026

"Epic match, so physical," Shelton told reporters. "Carlos is one of the greatest champions in our sport, already at 23 years old.

"It's always fun being on the court against him. It's ridiculous some of the stuff he comes up with sometimes.

"But the most enjoyable match that I've had in my career, for sure."

Shelton stars in the city that never sleeps

The crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium were treated to a show into the early hours on Wednesday morning by one of the home hopes, and Shelton made sure to repay their support with a stunning result.

He is just the second player in the Open Era to defeat the defending men's singles champion at a grand slam via a fifth-set tie-break, after Petr Korda (US Open 1997).

And Shelton broke Alcaraz's 12-match win streak in five-setters at majors, ending the equal-longest win streak in the Open Era along with Bjorn Borg (12).

John McEnroe ended Borg's streak en route to the US Open title in 1980.

The American is now 13-2 across the North American hard-court swing, and is through to the semi-finals of the US Open for the second time, and he will face compatriot Frances Tiafoe for a place in the final.

Tiafoe also had to go the distance in his quarter-final as he rallied from two sets down before erasing a 0-3 deficit in the fifth to beat Alex Michelsen 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3 7-6 (10-6).

The 28-year-old is through to his third semi-final in New York, becoming the first American man to do so since Andre Agassi (2002-03, 2005).