Germany’s Alexander Zverev celebrates after winning the men’s singles final against Ben Shelton of the U.S.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Ben Shelton won the all-American duel with Frances Tiafoe and now he’s the one who can end his country’s long wait for another men’s Grand Slam champion.

Shelton pulled out a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory on Friday (September 11, 2026) and will play No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev on Sunday (September 13) for the U.S. Open title.

The No. 8-seeded Shelton had plenty of energy left after ousting defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a quarterfinal match that ended Wednesday (September 9) at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish ever at the U.S. Open.

Now he needs to stop French Open champion Zverev to give the host nation its first men’s major winner since Andy Roddick at the 2003 U.S. Open.

“I’m going for it here, and I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton said. “I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do it for the USA.” Zverev beat Karen Khachanov 6-3, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (6) in the first semifinal.

“Hopefully I can not make the American dream come true on Sunday (September 13),” Zverev said.

The Shelton-Tiafoe match drew a star-studded crowd that included stars from sports, including Serena Williams, Jalen Brunson and of course U.S. soccer player Trinity Rodman, Shelton’s girlfriend; and actors Salma Hayek, Ben Stiller and Rami Malek.

Shelton and Tiafoe treated the fans to a good show, after both had to come through match tiebreakers in the previous round. Shelton, a 23-year-old from Georgia who was less than a year old when Roddick won his title, advanced to his first major final.

“This is where we want to be: at the tail end of this tournament,” Shelton said. “This is both of our favourite tournaments in the world, our favourite court in the world, and to be able to light it up in front of (this crowd) is the best feeling that there is.” Tiafoe fell to 0-3 in the U.S. Open semifinals, the last two against fellow Americans. Taylor Fritz beat him in 2024 before losing to Jannik Sinner.

After a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in which a giant American flag was unfurled across the court, it was Tiafoe who played the cleaner tennis in the first set. He committed just three unforced errors to 14 by Shelton, whose double-fault at 4-4 gave Tiafoe the break he needed.

But after falling behind, Shelton started serving bigger, and finished with 20 aces.

Serving with new balls at 3-all in the second set, Shelton started with a 125 mph serve — Tiafoe got his racket up almost in self-defense and ended up getting knocked backward to the court — and followed it with serves clocked at 144, 139 and 140, the last two for aces that gave him the lead for good in the set.

The pivotal moment in the match came in the final game of the third set, when Tiafoe was desperately trying to hold serve. The game lasted 15 minutes and 20 points before Tiafoe put a forehand into the net to end it and move Shelton a set away from the title.

Tiafoe had his own marathon in the quarterfinals, coming from two sets down and then erasing a 3-0 deficit in the fifth set to edge fellow American Alex Michelsen. He seemed to get slightly more cheers early, but the crowd was loud for both players as the match went on.

Zverev, who had long been considered the best men’s player without a major, finally broke through at the French Open this year. The German followed by reaching the Wimbledon final, where he lost to Sinner, and is 24-2 in Grand Slam matches this season.

“Sometimes just things go your way and I feel like I’ve had a lot of struggles at the major level, I was so close so many times, and maybe this year God has said that this is going to be your year and just enjoy the time on the court,” Zverev said.

Now he will try to win the title that he still can’t believe he let get away in 2020. Zverev won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem but then lost in a fifth-set tiebreaker, as Thiem became the first man to win the U.S. Open title after dropping the first two sets since 1949.

Zverev was solid after going up two sets this time, and has won 13 consecutive sets after becoming the first No. 1-seeded man to play five-setters in each of the first two rounds of a major.

Published – September 12, 2026 10:44 am IST

Elena Rybakina reacts after she won her match against Coco Gauff during the women’s singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships on September 10, 2026
| Photo Credit: AP

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns a shot in his match against Mariano Navone of Argentina during the men’s singles first round match 2026 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 30, 2026
| Photo Credit: Getty Images via AFP

Serena Williams getting back on the court at the U.S. Open after a four-year absence and Carlos Alcaraz returning to competitive tennis after being out the past four months with injury brought cheers and nostalgia to the Grand Slam tournament.

The celebration was short-lived.

After winning their debut playing together, Williams and Alcaraz got knocked out in the mixed doubles quarterfinals by Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli 5-4 (4), 4-1 on Tuesday (August 27, 2026).

Before the match, Cobolli called their opponents “the queen of tennis and the king of now.”

The star-studded duo with a combined eight U.S. Open singles championships certainly earned that praise. Williams and Alcaraz bounced back from a slow start in the first round to defeat Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1, much to the delight of fans inside Arthur Ashe Stadium who were clearly on their side.

“I never expected to be back on this court,” Williams said after her first match at Flushing Meadows since 2022. “I never thought this would happen.”

Now the question is whether she will seek an encore performance in women’s doubles alongside her older sister Venus. They won the U.S. Open twice among their 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together.

Serena, who is back playing tennis at age 44, does not plan to play singles.

Vintage shots

Williams in her latest mixed doubles cameo — she won the U.S. Open with Max Mirnyi in 1998 — hit some vintage shots that looked straight out of her prime.

Early on, she carried Alcaraz, the 23-year-old defending champion who’s ranked third in the world in men’s singles and was clearly rusty in his first competitive action since April 14.

“I think everybody could see: I double-faulted on the first point,” said Alcaraz, who missed the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury and wore a sleeve on that arm. “I was really, really nervous. I was out for four months … I almost forget how it feels.”

Fans chanted, “Come on, Carlos!” and “Let’s go, Serena, let’s go!” But the pair was overpowered by Bencic and Cobolli, letting a first-set tiebreaker slip away and getting dominated in the second.

Cobolli acknowledged being tight because Williams and Alcaraz were on the other side. Bencic said Williams tried to intimidate her — by saying she speaks Italian better.

“It was surreal to play against Carlos,” Bencic said. “Sometimes I was just standing at the volley or the return, and I was like, How did I end up on this court?’ I don’t really know. Just a huge honor. Obviously you can feel both of their auras.”

Djokovic, Sabalenka stunned

Top seeds Novak Djokovic and ​Aryna Sabalenka crashed out earlier against the experienced doubles players Henry Patten and Katerina Siniakova, losing 1-4 4-2 10-2, as Siniakova sealed the ‌upset in style with an ace out wide on match point.

The tournament was overhauled last year in an effort to get more top singles players to compete. It was moved to a two-day event well before the singles main draw begins, with a scoring format that guarantees quick matches that shouldn’t tax the players too much.

The matches in the first three rounds feature sets to four games, with a tiebreaker at 4-all and a 10-point tiebreaker instead of a third set. Only the final will resemble a regular match, with traditional sets to six games.

“I will say if we play until basically regular rules, until six games, will be much more difficult,” Mensik said.

Sabalenka, the two-time defending U.S. Open women’s champion, and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic are exactly the types of players the U.S. Tennis Association was seeking. They had the No. 1 seed based on the lowest combined singles ranking of any team, but their loss was far from an upset.

Spouses Svitolina and Monfils reach semis

Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils have both gone far but never all the way to the U.S. Open title. Maybe the married couple can finally win a trophy together.

The spouses made quite a pair on the court Tuesday, becoming the first team into the mixed doubles semifinals by edging Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten 5-4 (6), 4-5 (3) (10-8).

Svitolina and Monfils will face Bencic and Cobolli in one semifinal on Wednesday, with Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev to meet Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik in the other. The winning team will earn $1 million.

That would be quite a payday for Monfils to share with his wife in his final Grand Slam tournament before retiring.

“Happy wife, happy life,” Monfils said in their postmatch interview after a kiss and hug on the court.

Published – August 26, 2026 01:10 pm IST

PM Modi, President Biden welcome progress in defence ties

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Ukraine war unlikely to end in immediate future: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres

Efforts to build a peaceful world are faltering and the Ukraine conflict is unlikely to end in the immediate future, said Secretary General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres here on Friday. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the G-20 summit that will begin here on Saturday, Mr. Guterres laid out the concerns of the UN and said the world cannot “go on like this” and spoke forcefully seeking change of the global multilateral institutions. He also appreciated India for placing the “development agenda at the centre” of G-20.

New Delhi declaration ‘almost ready’, says India’s G-20 Sherpa, as Ukraine para remains sticking point

The joint declaration is “almost ready”, said India’s G-20 ‘Sherpa’ Amitabh Kant, indicating that the Sherpas or leaders’ representatives for G-20 countries will now hand over the document to G-20 leaders who begin their summit on September 9 in an effort to close the gaps, mainly over the paragraph on Ukraine. Mr. Kant also downplayed issues with China during the negotiations, and said that while all countries have a “veto power” over the joint statement to be issued, India had been able to bring “every single country” on board with its priorities.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang lands in India facing first international test

Chinese Premier Li Qiang arrived in New Delhi on Friday evening for the G-20 summit, which will, for the relatively unknown second-ranked Chinese leader, mark a first major international diplomatic test. Mr. Li earlier this week attended the East Asia Summit in Jakarta, but the G-20 will pose its own challenges with its higher profile and the presence of Western leaders who have been sharply critical of China, especially for its stand on the Ukraine crisis, a major sticking point that threatens to derail a joint communique for the first time in G-20 history.

We have a lot to bring to G-20 table, says African Union chief Azali Assoumani

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Criminal trials ideally need dynamic judges not taciturn ones, says Supreme Court

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Six Opposition CMs may skip G-20 dinner hosted by President

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PM Modi, Sheikh Hasina hold talks on diversifying India-Bangladesh cooperation

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India ‘very important’, but it is for members to decide on its UNSC membership, says Antonio Guterres

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres on September 8 described India as “the country of the world” and a “very important” partner in the multilateral system but said it is for the members and not him to decide on its UN Security Council membership. Addressing a press conference here ahead of the G20 Summit, he made a strong pitch for immediate reforms to UNSC and other multilateral institutions, as he asserted that the future of the world is multipolar but “our multilateral institutions reflect a bygone age”.

INDIA wins four seats, BJP three in Assembly bypolls

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Gyanvapi survey: ASI granted further four weeks’ time to submit report

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Nancy Pelosi says she’ll seek House reelection in 2024, dismissing talk of retirement at age 83

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on September 8 that she will run for reelection to another term in Congress as Democrats work to win back the majority in 2024. Ms. Pelosi made the announcement before labor allies in the San Francisco area district she has represented for more than 35 years. “Now more than ever our City needs us to advance San Francisco values and further our recovery,” Ms. Pelosi, 83, said in a tweet. “Our country needs America to show the world that our flag is still there, with liberty and justice for ALL. That is why I am running for reelection — and respectfully ask for your vote.”

Will hold free, inclusive and credible election: Bangladesh Minister

Bangladesh will hold a “free, inclusive and credible election”, assured Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen here on Friday. Speaking at the end of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Mr. Momen said the upcoming election would not be held under a caretaker government and said the two Prime Ministers discussed “regional peace and stability”. Sharing details about the meeting, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said India had welcomed “Indo-Pacific outlook” of Bangladesh that the Sheikh Hasina government introduced earlier this year.

U.S. Open | Bopanna creates history as the oldest doubles finalist in Open Era

India’s doubles ace Rohan Bopanna, who is playing some of the best tennis of his career, became the oldest Grand Slam doubles finalist in the Open Era as he, partnering Matthew Ebden, reached the U.S. Open final. Producing outstanding tennis at the Flushing Meadows in front of a handsome Louis Armstrong crowd, Bopanna and Ebden defeated Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut in Thursday’s semifinals to set a summit clash against Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury.

Stokes, Buttler help England post 291-6 against New Zealand in first match of ODI series

Ben Stokes marked his return to one-day internationals with a half-century before captain Jos Buttler and Liam Livingstone put on a rapid stand of 77 late in the innings to help push England to 291-6 against New Zealand in the first match of the Cricket World Cup warmup series on Friday. Stokes (52) opted to come out of ODI retirement ahead of England’s World Cup title defense in India starting next month and was one of four batters to post fifties on a tough track at Sophia Gardens.

A US Open doubles match had to be brought to a standstill when an eager squirrel invaded the court. The hilarious moment happened during a second-round women’s doubles match on Saturday night on Court 5, Greet Minnen and Yanina Wickmayer squared off against Laura Siegemund and Vera Zvonareva.

The squirrel interrupted the second set of a match. The video shows a squirrel running across the back of the court, distracting players. The cameras captured the squirrel who was trying to find its way out of the stadium, running quickly around the courtside seats.

“This match has seen a little bit of everything,” one commentator said.

US Open Tennis posted a video of the moment and wrote, “A squirrel is quite a reason to replay a point.”

See the video here:

A squirrel is quite a reason to replay a point pic.twitter.com/eanseJ45cp

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 2, 2023

Since being posted, the video has amassed over 1 lakh views with several comments. Commenting on the video, a user wrote, “Hahaha that’s hilarious. trying to get a better view I think !”

“Squirrels may be cute but you don’t want to get too close,” another user wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

“Poor thing. He looks scared,” the third user wrote.

Minnen and Wickmayer won the first set 7-6 (7) in a tiebreaker, but Siegemund and Zvonareva, stormed back to win the second and third sets 6-2, 6-0, respectively.