Defending champion out of US Open after latest-ever finish

The U.S. Open's late-night matches have hit a new extreme, culminating in a 3:33 a.m. finish to a thrilling quarterfinal showdown between Ben Shelton and reigning champion Carlos Alcaraz. The grueling 4 1/2-hour match extended the list of early-morning contests that have frustrated fans and raised concerns about the tournament's scheduling.

Shelton, a 23-year-old from Atlanta, earned a hard-fought victory over the second-seeded Alcaraz with a 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) scoreline. He secured the win with a blistering 146-mph ace in the fifth-set tiebreak, putting an end to Alcaraz's 18-match winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments.

This late-night encounter added to a string of post-2 a.m. finishes at the Grand Slam event, which had already surpassed previous records. Notably, Venus Williams faced the latest start in U.S. Open history at 12:13 a.m., as Novak Djokovic's first-round loss to her extended to 4 hours and 36 minutes.

The match at Arthur Ashe Stadium drew a modest crowd, with the arena only one-third full during the finish. Shelton's victory set up an all-American semifinal clash against 11th-seeded Frances Tiafoe, ensuring the United States' presence in Sunday's final as they chase their first major men's title since Andy Roddick's triumph in 2003.