Ben Shelton, from Florida, defeated compatriot Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to earn the right to face Alexander Zverev in the 2026 US Open final on Sunday (local time).
This is the first time the 23-year-old player has reached the final of a Grand Slam tournament, but to achieve this result, the experience that Nadal imparts is one of the key factors.
Before the US Open, Shelton entered the Cincinnati Open as one of the top contenders after successfully defending the championship at the Masters 1000 tournament in Montreal (Canada). However, he unexpectedly lost to Jaime Faria right in the opening match.
This shocking defeat motivated Bryan Shelton - Ben's father and coach, to make a call to Nadal, a legend who has won 22 Grand Slam titles.
I think people learn from their own experiences," the 60-year-old former tennis player shared, "The boy won the championship in Montreal and then Cincinnati, we said to each other:'This will be the most difficult day you will face' – playing the first round in Cincinnati right after just winning the title.
Very few people can overcome that situation and then play well in the tournament right next week. The boy couldn't do it, losing in the first round.
I remember talking to Rafa a few days after that match. Rafa said,'the first thing is to overcome that feeling, have a day off, and then find your best form again next week'.
That is a lesson for Ben that you need to know how to revive your spirit even when good things just happened, just like how to overcome adversity or difficult situations.
So, we talked about the boy defeating Carlos [Alcaraz] and the importance of understanding that the next challenge will be even more challenging – specifically getting up after that victory. Because, many people often want to rest and celebrate after achieving good results.
Our motto is, don't rush to celebrate when you haven't really broken through. You have to win the next match, you have to consolidate that achievement first. Then later – hopefully next week – we can celebrate a little bit.
Shelton is the first African-American male tennis player to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, and aims to become the first host male tennis player to win this tournament since Andy Roddick in 2003.
He will receive enthusiastic cheers from the audience at Arthur Ashe court when facing Alexander Zverev - a top German seeded player and also a bright candidate for the championship.
Shelton has only won 1 out of 11 sets when facing Zverev and lost in all 5 previous encounters, including 3 times in 2025.
However, Mr. Bryan believes that he can reverse the situation thanks to recent breakthroughs.
Ben has been going in the right direction throughout this year," he added, "the 4 titles that he has won on different pitches are proof of that. I think part of that comes from maturity and discipline he has cultivated on the pitch. He is willing to be patient in long balls, extend scores and truly maximize his sporting qualities".
Ben Shelton possesses a powerful serve, when recorded in the semi-finals showing the highest speed reaching 144 mph (232km/h) and scoring 20 aces.
