Wednesday’s men’s singles match at the US Open featured top-seeded American Ben Shelton taking on unbeaten Hubert Hurkacz of Poland.
Shelton — seeded eighth overall in the men’s singles — already has four straight wins in New York.
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The American defeated Hurkacz on Wednesday 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3) and 7-5. Shelton was overcome with emotion after a very close match and was quite celebrated after taking the final point.
The 2026 US Open wasn’t smooth sailing to the start of a major for the American star. Shelton dropped the first set of his round against Tallon Griekspoor, but was able to bounce back with three straight steps to take the match to the singles.
After Wednesday’s victory, Shelton will move on to the third round and the winner will play Denis Shavlov and Luca Van Assche, both undrafted, who play later on Wednesday.
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This is the sixth US Open of his 23-year career. Her best finish so far came in 2023, when she made it all the way to the semifinals. Shelton faced No. 2 Novak Djokovic, but lost in straight sets, 3-6, 2-6, 6-7 (4-7).
Shelton’s third round was a tough one at the Grand Slam. He reached the round three times before this year, and lost both of those appearances, with two years each.
Shelton is one of six Americans who are seeded for the 2026 US Open, joining Tien Learner (No. 14), Taylor Fritz (No. 9), Frances Tiafoe (No. 11), Brandon Nakashima (No. 16), and Tommy Paul (No. 20).
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For Hurkacz, it’s another early exit from the major tennis final of the year. He has competed in eight US Opens now, but is still looking for his first trip to the third round.
In his career, the best major qualification came at Wimbledon in 2021, when he reached the semifinals before beating Matteo Berrettini in four.