Ben Shelton became the first Black American man since Arthur Ashe to reach the 2026 US Open final.
Shelton achieved the milestone by defeating Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semifinal. Their match ended 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 7–5, sending Shelton into his first Grand Slam singles final. The achievement was especially significant because the previous Black American man to reach a US Open final was Arthur Ashe in 1972.
Ashe won the US Open in 1968, the first year of the Open Era, and also reached the final in 1972. Shelton’s 2026 appearance therefore linked two generations of American tennis history at the same tournament.
The milestone concerns men’s singles. It does not mean Shelton was the first Black American player of any gender to reach a US Open final; Serena Williams and Venus Williams had already established extensive women’s singles histories at the event.