It's more than just Ben Shelton's first US Open Final 🔥 He is the first Black American to reach the US Open Final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 👏

Leave it to espn to make it about race. Who cares.

What about the other ethnic group(s) he clearly belongs to? Why make it about only one?

He looks white to me 🤔

His mother is white. Does her race not count. He is mixed race, not that race should matter. Congrats to the young man and his Entire family.

ESPN made sure to let us know he is BLACK

He's half white Ben Shelton’s mom, Lisa Shelton (Witsken). The younger woman is His older sister Emma Shelton (born 2001)

Why do you have to bring race into this? It's exhausting.

He’s not black. He has black heritage but he’s white

The 52-year gap's staggering, but it's also a reminder of how much the talent pipeline for Black tennis players has shifted since the 70s. Does this mean the barrier's finally breaking, or just that the era of the specialist is over?

ESPN is shockingly IGNORANT here!This Man has a Black father and a White mother (who is completely discounted?). The origin of identifying as Black in this scenario is 100% RACIST! They were called “One Drop Rules”.. Any person with a Black ancestor was assigned as a lower class.

What does race have to do with anything?

We can honestly stop making it about race/identity politics. He's American male making it to a Slam in pro 🎾. That is huge - also for the record. He is not pure black - his mother is a white woman. None of it matters - people are over this.

ESPN keeps perpetuating exactly what is wrong in America: constant, in your face, heavy daily dose of racial division

He’s white

He’s white !! ESPN is a joke trying to make everything about race. Pathetic

I mean… he’s white

ITS FVCKING PATHETIC THAT YA'LL HAVE TO BRING RACE INTO THIS.

I despise when they call everyone black, he is whiter than me. Ignoring his white mom she only carried him 9 months. You Do not become a majority by lying.

Doesn’t look black

First of all he is white, please take off your woke sunglasses and study some genetics. With his background it is 100% possible to be pure white. Second - why his skin color is matter? Even he is white like Snowflake, the color of his skin is absolutely irrelevant. He does provide extremely entertaining tennis to watch and that should be matter for TV more than anything.

Shelton’s first US Open final is also the first Black American there since Ashe in 1972 which is the caption working overtime to make sure you don’t treat it like just another Saturday.

Black American?! You wish, Shelton is more white

Congratulations, Ben Shelton! What an incredible performance and a historic achievement. Your first U.S. Open final — and the first Black American man to reach it since Arthur Ashe in 1972. You earned every bit of this moment. Now go finish the job on Sunday! 🇺🇸🎾🔥

History and greatness in one match. Let’s go Ben!

Historic run. Finish it young man

Always have to make it about race

"Black" 🤣🤣 come on now

Being a black conservative in America in 2026 is wild. Should’ve been Tiafoe 💔

The booty scratchers about to be mad they called him Black American. It throws a monkey wrench in operation tether. 😆

52 years is a long time for a moment like this and hes only 22. the comments trying to pick apart his identity are missing the whole point of what saturday means

ESPN, what does race have to do with the tennis final!!!

@HarrietEve9 Nothing to brag about. People should be embarrassed that it’s taken of 50 years to get to this point.

What about his mother that’s white

This boi white as hell