The 2026 US Open did not end the way that tennis star Ben Shelton wanted. The American lost to Alexander Zverev in four sets on Sunday, September 13th. With the win, Zverev claimed his second Grand Slam.
Now, less than 24 hours after experiencing this massive disappointment, Shelton is ready to move on.
Ben Shelton Announces Career News After Losing To Alexander Zverev
Following the defeat, Shelton took to social media to share his thoughts on the past few weeks and what he will do next.
“Most fun 2 weeks of my life. I left absolutely everything out there on the court, and despite being gutted about losing yesterday, I’m more motivated than I’ve ever been. On my way to Prague to play for USA vs Czech this week. Let’s get a dub for the [American flag emoji]. Alexander Zverev, congrats on your 2nd slam this year,” Shelton wrote on his Instagram.
It’s no surprise to hear he was gutted by the loss. When professional athletes get to that high of a global stage, it’s hard not to feel some type of way when you walk away empty-handed.
Ben Shelton’s Next Stop: Davis Cup Qualifiers Second Round
The USA vs Czech event that Shelton referred to in his post is the second round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers. The Davis Cup Qualifiers will take place on September 18 & 19.
The qualifiers consist of two-day best-of-five series that include singles and doubles matches. Each nation carries a team to play their opponent.
There are 14 countries participating in the second round of qualifiers. Here are the matchups:
- Chile vs Spain
- Germany vs Croatia
- Great Britain vs Ecuador
- Austria vs Belgium
- Korea, Rep vs India
- Czechia vs USA
- Canada vs France
The winners of this second round of qualifiers will participate in the Davis Cup in November.
USA vs. Czech Davis Cup Qualifier Teams
Following the US Open, the USA and Czech teams were confirmed.
Shelton, Learner Tien, Martin Damm, Christian Harrison, and Austin Krajicek were all named to the team. Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul were supposed to participate, but they withdrew.
For Czech, they have named Jakub Mensik, Jiri Lehecka, Tomas Machac, and Vit Kopriva to their team.
At the time of this writing, there is no confirmed schedule for the matches, so look for that to be announced in the next few days.
While losing the US Open Final was tough for Shelton, getting this kind of opportunity immediately after is a worthwhile challenge to accept.
Ben Shelton Announces Career News After US Open Loss