Carlos Alcaraz vomits at 2am as five-set battle against Ben Shelton pushes him to the limit

Carlos Alcaraz's title defence came to a sudden end at the US Open as Ben Shelton stunned the two-time champion in what was a Flushing Meadows classic. A 3:30am finish saw the two athletes give everything they could on court, and it was visible for Alcaraz who at one point was throwing up violently in his towel enroute to a heartbreaking 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) loss.

After edging out the first set, Alcaraz seemed to be in control but this was by far his toughest test yet with the Canadian Open champion seeking his chance. He would storm into a lead of his own in two commanding sets that changed the course of this match.

Any chance of a finish that was not past everyone's bedtimes was very much off the cards as Alcaraz quickly got back level in a dominant set that left Shelton to ponder the fifth and final decider before it started.

12 holds of serve led to a super tiebreak that was sure to brew up something special. In the end, Alcaraz failed to get over the finishing line with Shelton having something left in the tank right at the end to win it 10-7 and secure a second US Open semi-final. His chances of winning a Grand Slam title will not be better than this, but as for the Spaniard while a valiant effort, he will end 2026 with just one major title under his belt thanks to injuries and this titanic battle not going his way.

These players do not get to the top of their sport for no reason. Along with immense talent, the work effort and fight they have to give in these matches is of the highest order. They push their bodies to the absolute limits and in a sport like tennis where it can it times be extremely physical on all of the muscles, the body can sometimes react.

That is what occurred with Alcaraz who at two in the morning. Suddenly, something did not feel right and he started to vomit into his towel repeatedly. It was a brutal sight to see, but a reality check that these guys are still human.

This is Alcaraz's first tournament back since picking up that devastating wrist injury at the Barcelona Open. He was out for over four months before returning to the action in New York, and it seemed from the off that his title prospects were very good.

Wins over Roman Safiulin, Jaime Faira, Yibing Wu and Tommy Paul saw his level increase throughout the rounds, but Shelton proved too much of a test this time round, especially when it went the distance.

Nevertheless, he did not sulk or complain after throwing up at this ridiculous hour. He got back up and continued to play like nothing had happened. That is the level these tennis players need to be at mentally if they are to challenge for the biggest titles the sport has to offer. While it was a bit too much of an ask for Alcaraz today, he will be back in the coming years with the optimism of adding to his trophy haul.

For Shelton, he is now two wins away from relishing his dream. A USA tennis player has not won a Grand Slam since Andy Roddick in the 2003 US Open. 23 years later, either him or Frances Tiafoe will battle it out for major glory.