Ben Shelton, who is on the cusp of becoming the first American to clinch the US Open men's singles title since 2003, reflected on his confidence and belief going into the final against top seed Alexander Zverev, stating that "it's going to be a war" in the summit clash and he is "not going to take his foot off the gas."The eighth seed American rallied past fellow American Frances Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday to reach his first major final in New York. No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick triumphed in Flushing Meadows in 2003.Shelton will now have a chance to claim his maiden major crown and end a 23-year wait for American men's tennis Sunday, when he takes on top seed Alexander Zverev for the title.Reflected on qualifying for the US Open Final after beating fellow American Tiafoe, Shelton said on JioStar, "Really happy to close it out the way I did in four sets. I definitely didn't want to have five sets on my body going into the finals, but I thought I played a clean match. Tiafoe also played outstandingly and pushed me in so many ways. So, to be able to get through that one and win three sets in a row after dropping the first, I couldn't be happier."Speaking about his confidence and belief after reaching the final, having beaten Carlos Alcaraz in the quarter-final, he said, "I'm ready to go. It's going to be a war on Sunday. I'm going to leave it all on the court. Win or lose, obviously, I'm going to be proud of myself and what I've done, but this is the dream. This is what I'm playing for now. It's right in front of me, and I'm definitely not going to take my foot off the gas.""My team and I think about things long-term. We're not looking for instant gratification. I know I still have so much further to go as a tennis player and to become the best version of myself, but it is right there, one more match, and, like I said, I'll leave everything on the court."Shelton became the first Black American man to make a Grand Slam final since Arthur Ashe lost to Ilie Nastase in 1972. If he wins, he'll be the first Black American champion at the US Open since Ashe won here in 1968. Shelton looks to break the streak inside the largest stadium in the world, named for the great Ashe.On scripting history being the first black American man to reach the US Open Final since Arthur Ashe, Shelton said, "It means everything. A lot of people have sacrificed a lot for me to be in this position that I'm in today. My whole family, both sides of my family, have gone through a lot to give not only my parents, but also us grandkids, the opportunities that we've had. I"I think that's always what I'm thinking about and what I'm grateful for when it really comes down to it. I think about the people who've backed me and been in my corner. Making history and being a part of history is pretty great, but obviously, the job's not finished."Shelton will have the majority of that Arthur Ashe crowd behind him as the 23-year-old has displayed immense resolve throughout his run, most notably in his five-set quarter-final victory against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, which lasted until 3:33 a.m. and marked the American's first Top-3 win."The crowd will certainly be loud, backing me. New York is such a cool sports city. There's such a great sports culture here, and I think there's a lot of American pride, so I'll definitely be looking to use that and play the best match that I can," he said.
