Ben Shelton is coming off of one of the greatest major open runs in recent memory.
The 23-year-old American tennis star advanced all the way to the US Open Final after pulling off major wins over two of the top stars in the world in Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe. His win over Alcaraz extended into the early AM hours, ending at 3:33 a.m. local time, the latest finish in tournament history.
It also happened to be his first win over the Spaniard sensation and it was Alcaraz’s first-ever loss against an American at a Slam and a lefty.
Shelton called it the most “intense” match of his life and gave major props to Alcaraz, who congratulated him after the back-and-forth matchup. Alcaraz was making his return to the tennis court to defend his US Open title after being sidelined with a wrist injury since April.
“The guy’s so gracious,” said Shelton in a one-on-one interview with Heavy Sports on Alcaraz. “He’s exactly what you want in a champion in the sport, and basically he was just like, ‘Dude, you’re an absolute beast.’ And I told him the same. I think there’s a lot of respect between us.”
Ben Shelton on Carlos Alcaraz: ‘I Have So Much Respect For Him’
Shelton is the top-ranked American men’s player and he ranks fourth overall in the world. Meanwhile, Alcaraz is regarded as the top young men’s tennis player in the sport, ranked No. 1 in men’s singles for 66 weeks and finished the year ranked No. 1 in 2022 and 2025. Alcaraz is actually a few months younger than Shelton.
“I have so much respect for him,” Shelton continued. “He’s already one of the greatest ever, and he’s younger than me, which is crazy to think about. I think he’s the most entertaining player that we have. He’s great for our sport. He had that Travis Scott collab fit on. I think there’s so many things to love about the guy. And yeah, like I said, an icon in the sport for sure.”
There hasn’t been a men’s American singles player who has won a major open since Andy Roddick accomplished the feat back in 2003. Shelton said it’s not something he thinks about until he gets asked about it, but it’s “100%” something he wants to accomplish.
“Yeah, 100% something I want to accomplish,” said Shelton. “Not something that I’m thinking about genuinely, unless I get asked about it. I think for me, on my own journey, on my own path, moving at my own timeline, and I think that 100% I want to be competing for these grand slams. But at the same time, that drought or record is not something that’s weighing on me at all.”
Ben Shelton on How Thorne Products Help His Tennis Game and His Recovery
As Shelton continues to grow in his young tennis career, he’s partnering with Thorne, a brand well-known and popularly used by athletes due to their nutritional supplements, vitamins and wellness products. Shelton said he’s been using Thorne products way before the partnership began, which started in 2025.
“My partnership with Thorne has been really cool because it’s a brand whose products I was already using before it became an endorsement partnership,” said Shelton. “I think the authenticity of it, how organic it is, is awesome. I think a big piece for me with Thorne is it’s third party tested, NSF certified, and that gives me a lot of peace of mind as an athlete. The doping protocols are something that are very tricky to navigate these days. You gotta be very careful what you put in your body. You have to give them an hour out of every day where you are, your whereabouts, and they can come drug test you at any time or any day during that hour. It’s tricky. But being with a brand like Thorne, knowing that the only things that I do put in my body supplement wise are very safe and clean and tested gives me a lot of peace of mind. This has been a great partnership for me.”
Shelton said Thorne’s products help in his recovery from tennis and helps his muscles relax. He cites magnesium glycinate as his favorite product because it helps him sleep.
“The magnesium glycinate is up there,” said Shelton. “I think that in terms of relaxing the muscles, waking up in the morning, not feeling the tension that I usually feel after a tough day or a tough match, and the ability to just get a good night’s sleep, I think it helps in so many ways. I think sleep is one of the most important parts for athletes. Also, there’s nothing worse than working, waking up after a tough day and feeling like that next day soreness kind of just ruins the work that you’re able to put in that next day. I think that that’s where I’ve seen a big difference.”
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