Ben Shelton retires from US Open after shoulder injury

American hopes of ending a 22-year wait for a men's Grand Slam champion took a major hit on Friday as sixth seed Ben Shelton retired from his U.S. Open third-round clash against France's Adrian Mannarino due to a shoulder injury. The 20-year-old, who has been tipped as one of the rising stars capable of breaking the American drought at Flushing Meadows, appeared in visible pain early in the fourth set at Louis Armstrong Stadium.

Shelton grabbed his left shoulder after a forehand and winced while preparing to receive Mannarino's serve in the second game of the set. Midway through, he took a medical timeout and confided in his father and coach, Bryan Shelton: "I just did something to my shoulder. I don't know what it is. I'm in a lot of pain." Later, he described the discomfort as the "worst pain" of his life. Despite the injury, Shelton remained competitive, trading points with the left-handed Mannarino, who produced some moments of brilliance.

At the time of retirement, Shelton had won the opening set but was trailing 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in a hard-fought encounter. Mannarino reflected on the abrupt end: "He probably would have won. It's unfortunate for him and very lucky for me. I don't really know what to say right now. I suppose I'm happy to get through. I wish him the best. I was enjoying my time on court, even if I was losing. Ben's such an amazing player; it was a great match."

The disappointment for American fans continued less than an hour later when 17th seed Frances Tiafoe crashed out in straight sets, losing 6-4, 6-3, 7-6(7) to Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff on Grandstand. Tiafoe, who had last failed to reach the fourth round in 2019, struggled to close out points, allowing Struff to regain composure after a series of double faults. "I tried to stay calm and refocus and I managed to get some energy back, so I was very happy about that," Struff said.

With both Shelton and Tiafoe eliminated, all eyes now turn to Taylor Fritz, the fourth seed and last year's runner-up, who remains America's top hope at this year's US Open. Fritz is scheduled to face Jerome Kym later on Friday, carrying the weight of expectation for the home nation.