𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Ben Shelton will attempt to become the first American man to win a U.S. Open since Andy Roddick in 2023, but he’s already broken an even bigger drought — he’s the first Black American man to play in a U.S. Open final since Arthur Ashe himself, the namesake of the court he’s been playing on throughout this tournament, in 1972.

💬 “It’s a lot of emotion. My dad and my mom have sacrificed a lot to be in this position today. My dad lost his mom earlier this year, and she’s the reason that he was able to play tennis. Without her, there’s no Ben Shelton standing her today. This one is for her.

“I’m gonna need you guys (the crowd) on Sunday to bring the energy. I’m going for it here. I’m leaving it all on the court. I hope you come and back me. Let’s do this for the USA. And one more thing — it’s a difficult day to be out here playing. My thoughts and prayers go out to all the families who were impacted by 9/11. This is one of the greatest cities in the world.”