Ben Shelton does not win the U.S. Open despite facing an opponent who appears to estimate he has the crowd’s support. After Shelton beats Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals, he reaches his first Grand Slam final at Arthur Ashe Stadium and tells the audience he needs their energy for Sunday.
Multiple reports describe Sunday’s atmosphere as heavily favoring Shelton. One outlet notes that Alexander Zverev, Shelton’s opponent, believes “99.9%” of the crowd is behind Shelton, reflecting how partisan the environment appears to be. In the final, however, Shelton still does not secure the title he is seeking, including a specific push to become the first American to win the championship.
The coverage focuses less on tactical or statistical details of the final itself and more on the contrast between the largely pro-Shelton crowd and the result, with the common thread that strong home-crowd support is not enough to deliver a historic win.
