Ben Shelton rallies past Tallon Griekspoor in U.S. Open opener

Ben Shelton began the 2026 U.S. Open with a 6-1 opening-set loss to Tallon Griekspoor, but he quickly recovered and went on to dominate the final three sets. The match lasted two hours and 35 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shelton acknowledged that Griekspoor is a challenging opponent, noting that he struggled to find rhythm in the first set, where he was broken three times, including the very first game.

Griekspoor succeeded in disrupting Shelton's serve, pushing the No. 8 seed away from the baseline and leading to numerous errors. The first two sets saw Shelton and Griekspoor performing very differently. In the third set, both players held serve, prompting a tiebreak, which Shelton won 7-3. He took full control of the match in the fourth set, breaking the opponent in the first game and never looking back.

Throughout the match, Griekspoor struggled with serving, visibly growing frustrated with each lost point. Shelton remained composed and capitalized on the home crowd's energy. He mentioned feeling a bit nervous at the start but eventually found his rhythm. Rain threatened to delay the match after the first set, but the roof remained closed.

Shelton's victory marked his 10th at the U.S. Open, and he had previously reached the semifinals in 2023. The next match is against world No. 47 Hubert Hurkacz, with whom Shelton has never played before.