Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe are still on a mission to become the first American men to win a Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows in 2003. As the US Open moves into its semi‑final round, both players have shown the kind of resilience and firepower that could finally break the two‑decade drought for U.S.
men’s tennis. Shelton’s path to the semi‑finals has been nothing short of dramatic. In the early hours of Wednesday, he faced the defending champion, Carlos Alcaraz, in what turned out to be the longest‑finishing match in tournament history.
Shelton emerged victorious, sending the Spaniard packing and earning his third major semi‑final appearance – a feat he previously achieved at the 2023 US Open and 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 first clash, scheduled for 3 p.m.
local time (8 p.m. UK), will see Germany’s Alexander Zverev take on Russia’s Karen Khachanov. The second semi‑final, kicking off at 7 p.m. local time (midnight UK), will feature the all‑American showdown between Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe.
Tiafoe’s journey to this stage has been a story of comeback after comeback. After dropping the first two sets and a break against his compatriot Alex Michelsen, he rallied to win the match, securing his third US Open semi‑final berth. The New York crowd has already gifted him with memorable moments – from his stunning victory over Rafael Nadal on the way to the 2022 semi‑finals to his dramatic win over Shelton two years earlier.
Yet Tiafoe insists he is a different player now. "I’m not the same person who made those runs in 2022 and 2024," he said. "I’ve grown, I’ve changed, and I’m excited to see what this new version of me can do." He added, "I have higher hopes for myself. The tournament is still alive, there are many more sets to play and physical challenges to meet.
We’ll enjoy it, but we also have to keep pushing forward." Zverev, the world No. 2, has been quietly confident throughout the fortnight. After a solid win over the 21st‑seeded Luciano Darderi – his highest‑ranked opponent in this event – and a straight‑sets victory over world No.
70 Botic van de Zandschulp, the German appears in fine form. He has a perfect record against Shelton, having beaten him in all five of their previous meetings, and has lost just once in ten encounters with Tiafoe. His recent résumé includes a first Grand Slam title at the French Open and a Wimbledon final appearance, underscoring his comfort in the latter stages of major tournaments.
Speaking about his mindset, Zverev noted, "The more often you reach this stage, the more normal it feels, but you should never take that for granted. Confidence is crucial, yet it can evaporate in an instant.
I learned that after Wimbledon, where my hard‑court form dipped, but I’ve found it again here. I’m happy with how things are progressing and hope to play two strong matches in New York." Khachanov, the unseeded Russian, is hunting his first Grand Slam final. He reached the US Open semi‑finals in 2022 and the Australian Open semi‑finals in 2023, but a strange season has left him unseeded for the first time since 2018.
Despite a solid record of reaching at least the third round at all four majors for the first time, his recent hard‑court results have been mixed, with early exits in the lead‑up events. Zverev and Khachanov, both products of the 1990s tennis generation, have faced each other nine times, with Zverev holding a 6‑3 advantage.
Their most notable clash came at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics final, where Zverev captured gold in straight sets. Their sole Grand Slam meeting prior to this was at the 2018 French Open, where Zverev rallied from a set down to win in five. The stakes for the American side are historic. The winner of the Tiafoe‑Shelton semi‑final will become 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 1996 Wimbledon appearance.
Former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport praised Tiafoe’s recent resurgence, noting a significant lifestyle and fitness overhaul he undertook late last year. She remarked, "It’s not easy for players to turn their lives around, but Frances has restructured everything around tennis. Watching him fight back from two sets down shows a new level of determination." While the men’s draw has been reshaped by the early exits of Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, Zverev’s steady progress has made him the clear favorite to claim the title.
If he defeats Khachanov on Friday and then overcomes the winner of the American semi‑final, he could add a second Grand Slam crown to his résumé and cement his claim as the best player in the world at this moment. The US Open continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports from August 30, with streaming options available on NOW and the Sky Sports app. Fans in New York and around the globe can anticipate a weekend of high‑quality tennis, dramatic narratives, and the potential crowning of a new champion who may finally bring an American men’s Grand Slam title back home after more than two decades.