American hopes at the 2025 US Open suffered a hammer blow on Friday as Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, who have both shone at Flushing Meadows in recent years, exited the tournament in the third round within an hour of each other.
Shelton, a US Open semi-finalist in 2023, was forced to retire with a shoulder injury with the score tied at 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6 in his third round match with world No 77 Adrian Mannarino in Louis Armstrong Stadium. The world No 6 suffered the injury when diving on the court to win the third set in stunning fashion.
After telling his father and coach Bryan he was experiencing “more pain than he has ever felt on a tennis court”, Shelton battled through the fourth set, but he was unable to start the fifth. The 22-year-old left the court in tears.
Shortly after Shelton’s painful exit, Tiafoe was upset 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) by the dangerous 144th-ranked qualifier Lan-Lennard Struff on Grandstand court.
The world No 17, who was a semi-finalist at the New York major in 2022 and 2024, had a set point in the third set, but was outplayed throughout by the big-hitting 35-year-old German.
The loss of Shelton and Tiafoe, who were both in the bottom half of the draw, could benefit No 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz and No 7 seed Novak Djokovic — who were likely opponents for the two home favourites.
Alcaraz was projected to face Shelton in the quarter-finals, which many were forecasting as a tricky potential encounter for the Spaniard despite his 3-0 head-to-head record against the American.
Shelton tested Alcaraz in a pulsating four-set last 16 match at the French Open in June, and he arrived at the US Open after winning his biggest career title in Toronto and making the quarter-finals in Cincinnati.
US Open News
How Novak Djokovic eclipsed Roger Federer with a staggering record at the US Open
Carlos Alcaraz gives major update after suffering injury scare during latest match
The American continued his impressive form at Flushing Meadows with clinical wins in his two matches before facing Mannarino, and his firepower makes him dangerous to even the game’s elite when in full flight.
If Alcaraz can navigate a fourth round meeting with 82nd-ranked Arthur Rinderknech, he will take on either Mannarino or 21st seed Jiri Lehecka — which represents a more favourable draw than playing Shelton.
Djokovic, meanwhile, would have met Tiafoe in the last 16 had the 27-year-old American overcome Struff.
While Djokovic is 1-0 against Tiafoe (2-0 including Laver Cup), the former world No 10 — who often brings his best tennis in big US Open matches — could have been a tough fourth round opponent.
As impressive as Struff has been to win six straight matches in New York (including qualifying), Djokovic holds a 7-0 record against the German and has only lost one set across all of their previous meetings.
The way the bottom half of the draw has played out has arguably increased the chances of a semi-final blockbuster between Alcaraz and Djokovic.
For Djokovic, a potential quarter-final clash with leading American hope Taylor Fritz — the fourth seed and 2024 US Open runner-up — looms if he gets past Struff and Fritz beats Tomas Machac. The Serb holds a 10-0 record against Fritz, which feels like a huge psychological hurdle for the Californian to overcome.
READ NEXT: Novak Djokovic admits he is ‘more concerned than I have ever been’ after US Open injury scare
The post Why Carlos Alcaraz & Novak Djokovic are big winners from Ben Shelton & Frances Tiafoe’s US Open exits appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply