The United States Open has entered its penultimate round, and the spotlight is firmly on the American men who still dream of ending a 23‑year wait for a home‑grown Grand Slam champion. The last time an American male lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows was Andy Roddick in 2003, and the nation’s hopes now rest on the shoulders of Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe, both of whom have fought their way into the semi‑finals. Shelton’s run has been nothing short of dramatic. In a marathon showdown that stretched into the early hours of Wednesday morning, he finally dispatched defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, delivering the latest‑ever finish in the tournament’s modern era.
The match, which lasted well beyond midnight local time, saw Shelton claim his third major semi‑final appearance, following a breakthrough run at the 2023 US Open and a final‑four finish at the 2025 Australian Open. "That was a war," Shelton reflected afterwards. "It was the most enjoyable match of my career." The semi‑finals are slated for Friday, 11 September, with both matches taking place in the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium. The German powerhouse Alexander Zverev will meet Russia’s Karen Khachanov at 3 p.m.
local time (8 p.m. in the United Kingdom). Later that evening, at 7 p.m. local (midnight UK), the all‑American clash between Shelton and Tiafoe will commence.
Tiafoe’s path to the semi‑finals has been equally compelling. After dropping the first two sets and a break against fellow American Alex Michelsen, he staged a remarkable comeback to secure his third semi‑final berth. The New York crowd has already been treated to several memorable moments from Tiafoe, most notably his stunning victory over Rafael Nadal on his way to the 2022 semi‑finals and his headline‑grabbing win over Shelton two years earlier.
This year, however, the Cincinnati runner‑up insists he is a different player altogether. "Those two runs to the semi‑finals were great and I’ll cherish them forever, but I’m not the same person I was in 2022 or 2024," he said. "I’m excited to see what this new version of me can achieve." Both Americans are aware of the weight of expectation.
"I have higher hopes for myself now," Tiafoe added. "The tournament is still alive, there’s a lot more tennis to be played, more sets to fight for, and more physical challenges ahead.
We’ll enjoy it, but we have to keep pushing." On the women’s side, the top‑seeded quartet is set for a semi‑final showdown featuring Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, while the men’s draw has been reshaped by the early exits of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and the defending champion Alcaraz. In this altered landscape, Alexander Zverev has quietly continued his ascent. The 29‑year‑old, who claimed his first Grand Slam title at the French Open earlier this year and reached the Wimbledon final, appears comfortable in the latter stages of major tournaments.
Zverev’s recent performances have been methodical. He breezed past the 21st‑seeded Italian Luciano Darderi, his highest‑ranked opponent to date, and dispatched world No. 70 Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets.
His next challenge will be against the unseeded Russian Karen Khachanov, a player who is seeking his first Grand Slam final after semi‑final appearances at the US Open in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2023. Khachanov, who has not been seeded in a major since 2018, has shown a mixed season, reaching the third round of each of the four majors for the first time but struggling in other events. Historically, Zverev holds a clear advantage over Khachanov, leading their head‑to‑head 6‑3. Their most notable encounter came at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where Zverev won gold in straight sets.
Their only Grand Slam meeting prior to this was at the 2018 French Open, where Zverev rallied from a set down to win in five. Meanwhile, former world No.
1 Lindsay Davenport praised Tiafoe’s recent transformation. "People heard about the dark period Frances went through last fall, but he turned his life around and now lives for tennis," she said. "Seeing him come back from two sets down shows the new Frances – a fighter who refuses to quit." The winner of the Tiafoe‑Shelton semi‑final will achieve a historic milestone: the first Black American man to reach a US Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972, and the first Black American man to contest any major final since MaliVai Washington’s Wimbledon run in 1996. As the tournament reaches its climax, fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports, NOW, or the Sky Sports app, with matches also streaming without a contract.
The US Open continues to deliver drama, resilience, and the promise that an American champion may finally emerge from New York’s famed courts.