Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe set to clash in US Open semifinals

New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium is about to host a party nobody outside the United States was invited to. After a wild night and day of tennis at Flushing Meadows, No. 8 seed Ben Shelton and No. 11 seed Frances Tiafoe have both punched their tickets to the US Open men's semifinals — meaning an American man is guaranteed a spot in the final for the first time in years, with hopes of ending the country's title drought since Andy Roddick's 2003 triumph.

One American is now guaranteed a place in the US Open men’s final

Ben provided the tournament's biggest upset, defeating defending champion and No. 2 seed Carlos Alcaraz 6-7, 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 in a five-set marathon that lasted four hours and 28 minutes and ended at 3.33 am, making it the latest-finishing match in US Open history. The win snapped Carlos's 18-match winning streak at majors. Carlos, who was competing in his first event since April while recovering from a wrist injury, reportedly fell ill before the decisive set but still took the match to a final tiebreak before Ben won. This is Ben's third career Grand Slam semifinal participation, following appearances at the 2023 US Open and the 2025 Australian Open.

Just hours before, Frances staged one of his career's greatest comebacks, rebounding from two sets behind to defeat fellow American Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6, capped by a dramatic 10-point tiebreak. Frances had a poor lifetime record when losing 0-2 in sets at majors, making the comeback all the more impressive. Alex, who was chasing his first career Grand Slam semifinal, hugged Frances at the net in an emotional end. Reflecting on the win, Frances credited his opponent's tough start before he found his footing, calling Alex ‘a helluva player’.

It's Frances' third trip to a US Open semifinal in the last five years, and he'll now be chasing a spot in his first career Grand Slam final.

With Ben and Frances landing on the same half of the draw, Team USA is assured of a men's finalist — the closest the country has come in years to snapping a 23-year wait for a home-grown Grand Slam champion. The two Americans have split their previous meetings, including a five-set thriller at the 2024 US Open that Frances won after Ben had gotten the better of him in the 2023 quarterfinals.

For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.