Ben Shelton came up short in his attempt to become the first American man since 2003 to win the US Open title.
The 23-year-old lost to an inspired Alexander Zverev, who claimed the second Grand Slam title of his career in a four-set match on Arthur Ashe.
Shelton will understandably be at a low point right now, but there are several reasons for the American to be positive heading into the final season stretch.
The star is up to a career ranking high of world No 4 thanks to his exploits at the US Open and he is less than 1000 ranking points behind Carlos Alcaraz in third place.
Shelton will have plenty of opportunities to claim a Grand Slam title in the future and he should look to Andy Murray as inspiration in how to bounce back from major defeat.
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Andy Murray lost his first US Open final too in what was his first-ever Grand Slam final in 2008. The Scot came up short against Roger Federer, who beat the star in straight sets.
Murray reacted in sensational fashion straight after, however, as he collected two ATP Tour titles in October 2008, just weeks after losing to Federer.
The Scot claimed just the second Masters title of his career at the Madrid Open, which acted as the tournament’s final time as an indoor hardcourt event before its switch to clay courts.
Murray would then go on to win the St Petersburg Open to truly bounce back from his Grand Slam heartbreak.
The British star would, of course, go on to claim three Grand Slam titles too, which should provide Shelton with an idea of what can be achieved after losing your first major final.
Shelton is also in a very good position heading into the end of the year as he is only defending 250 ranking points until the ATP Tour draws to a close for 2026.
His next appearance is set to be the Laver Cup and he has also signed up for the Japan Open, where he will be the second seed behind Alcaraz.
There is every chance the American can bounce back in a similar way to Murray to prove that he is still one of the very best players on the ATP Tour.
Shelton is also expected to play the Shanghai Masters and the Paris Masters and he is expected to qualify for the ATP Finals in Turin at the end of the year. There is plenty of time for Shelton to get over his US Open heartache.
