'He's a beast'- Carlos Alcaraz heaps praise on Ben Shelton after US Open loss

No 2 seed Alcaraz was beaten 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) by eighth seed Shelton in the US Open last eight at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The match lasted four hours and 28 minutes, concluding at 3:33 am on Wednesday morning in New York - the latest finish time in US Open history. Alcaraz's loss ended his 18-match win streak at Grand Slams and his 12-match win streak in matches decided by a fifth set.

Speaking to reporters after the match, Alcaraz said he was "happy" and "proud."

"Well, as I said before the tournament began, my expectation was to go there, compete, play in these kinds of matches, for me, being healthy," said the 23-year-old Spaniard.

"So, it was close. It was close. So, I'm just a little bit disappointed about not getting the win, but I'm just happy. I'm just proud of myself, about how I fought.

"After the third set, physically I was really tired, but I found a way to push myself up and physically give extra.

"In the fifth set, I just started to feel better and better. But I was playing against someone that is a beast. Shelton is an unbelievable and powerful player. He just managed how to play really well in every situation, so credit to him. But I leave the court happy. I leave the court with a smile, healthy, and this is what I needed."

Asked what made the difference in the fifth-set tiebreak, Alcaraz highlighted Shelton's serve.

"Well, the serve is a really good weapon in these kind of situations. But sometimes you win, sometimes you lose," said the seven-time Grand Slam champion.

"I remember the last [fifth set] tiebreak that I played was in Paris [against Jannik Sinner last year]; it was an unbelievable game that I played during that moment.

"This time, when you're trying to fight, and trying to overcome all the problems that you might have, physically tired a lot.

"And obviously, when he's serving, he puts a lot of pressure on you. You're thinking about trying to put the return in, and it's an unknown if you're gonna play the point, or he's gonna get a free point with the serve.

"So, I think in these moments, he takes a lot of advantage with the serve. Not an excuse, but I would say this is an important weapon in these moments."

READ MORE: Carlos Alcaraz knocked out of US Open by Ben Shelton in late night thriller