Ben Shelton, the highest-seeded American man at No. 8, recovered from a disastrous opening set to defeat Tallon Griekspoor 1-6, 6-1, 7-6(3), 6-2 in the first round of the US Open on Monday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Shelton was broken three times in a 28-minute first set, winning just one game—tied for the fewest games he has won in a major opening set of his career, according to ESPN. From the second set onward, he was perfect in service games, going 13-for-13 as Griekspoor fell to 0-8 in his major career record against ATP Top-10 opponents.
Why Shelton's recovery matters
Shelton's second-set turnaround demonstrated the mental resilience required at a Grand Slam after an early stumble. In his on-court interview, Shelton noted he "started off a little bit nervous tonight but found my rhythm at some point in the second set," adding that playing on Arthur Ashe Stadium is where he feels comfortable. He will face Hubert Hurkacz in the second round; the two have not played each other previously.
Tiafoe extends major first-round streak
Frances Tiafoe, seeded No. 11, rallied from two sets down to outlast fellow American Martin Damm 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Louis Armstrong Stadium. The victory extended Tiafoe's consecutive first-round wins at majors to 22 matches, the longest active streak on the men's tour, according to ESPN. That streak surpassed Novak Djokovic's previous record of 78 consecutive first-round wins at majors, which ended on Sunday.
Other American men advance
Brandon Nakashima, seeded No. 16, defeated Sebastian Baez 6-2, 6-1, 6-0 for his ATP Tour-leading 23rd hard-court match win this season. Nakashima dropped only three games across the match—the fewest in any of his 43 career major matches. No. 14 seed Learner Tien also advanced, beating Nuno Borges 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.
Sources
- ESPN: Americans Ben Shelton, Frances Tiafoe advance at US Open. ESPN News Services, 2026-09-01.