Carlos Alcaraz eliminated from US Open after 'throwing up' in brutal record-breaking match

Carlos Alcaraz saw his defence of the US Open title come to an end in a brutal, record-breaking defeat to Ben Shelton in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Shelton dug deep to secure a 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7) quarter-final victory over the Spaniard in a match that ended at 3:34 a.m. local time, the latest finish in the tournament's history.

It was a momentous occasion for Shelton, who had failed to beat a top-three player in his previous 17 attempts, while Alcaraz's return from injury ended brutally as he appeared to throw up into a towel in the closing stages before eventually tasting defeat.

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Carlos Alcaraz eliminated from US Open as record broken

Alcaraz was eliminated from the US Open at the quarter-final stage as his defence of the men's singles title came to a dramatic end. The Spaniard is a two-time US Open winner but will not be adding another Grand Slam title to his collection this year after an injury-hit campaign that saw him miss Wimbledon and the French Open due to a wrist injury.

The match in New York did not begin until around 11 p.m. local time on Tuesday night after the start of the night session was delayed by matches earlier in the day.

It did not help, then, that the two players produced a modern classic, with Shelton securing the biggest win of his career during a four-hour and 28-minute clash on Arthur Ashe Stadium that did not finish until 3:34 a.m.

The American not only secured his first victory over a top-three player, but also his first win over Alcaraz in four attempts.

Alcaraz had exceeded expectations on his return after more than four months out with a wrist injury, but his lack of match fitness appeared to take its toll by the end. A clip posted on social media appeared to show the 23-year-old throwing up into a towel after the fourth set as he struggled to cope with the intensity of the occasion.

The match became the latest finish in US Open history midway through the fifth set. When the clock ticked beyond 2:50 a.m., it surpassed the previous record set by Alcaraz himself during a five-set epic against Jannik Sinner in 2022.

However, it still fell short of the Grand Slam record. The latest finish in Grand Slam history came at the Australian Open in 2008, when Lleyton Hewitt defeated Marcos Baghdatis at 4:34 a.m. after their encounter did not begin until 11:47 p.m. local time.

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US Open slammed over timing of Carlos Alcaraz vs. Ben Shelton match

Although the match produced a record-breaking spectacle at Arthur Ashe Stadium, tennis fans were quick to criticise the tournament for allowing the contest to take place so late at night.

While organisers could not have envisaged the eventual finish time, it was always going to be a risk when the match did not even begin until 11 p.m.

"Working folks don't lose track of time, and thankfully tennis's premier event Wimbledon has a strict 11 p.m. curfew, which is sensible and appropriate – US Open could do much better by its fans and players," wrote one fan on social media.

Another claimed it was an 'insane' decision to allow the showpiece match to start at a time when so few people would be able to watch it.

"Absolutely insane the Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton match won't start till almost 11 p.m. on a TUESDAY night. What are we doing ESPN and US Open? Absolutely awful product you have been putting out this year," they wrote.

Former NBC and ESPN host Jason Page added: "This is ridiculous scheduling. I get that today's matches have basically all gone long, but you can't have the biggest match of the tournament so far beginning at 11 p.m. ET at the earliest.

"The US Open has to do better. Shelton and Alcaraz will basically have no east coast audience."

Shelton will face fellow American Frances Tiafoe in the semi-finals on Thursday, with both men's singles semi-finals set to be played on the same day.

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