US Open Semifinals Preview: American Hopefuls Shine
The US Open semifinals are locked in, and New York has its storyline: America is guaranteed a men’s finalist and still very much alive for a home champion on both sides of the draw.
Shelton stuns Alcaraz in a midnight epic
The match that defined the quarterfinals didn’t end until the city had long slipped past last call.
Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz went out swinging, but Ben Shelton refused to blink. The American left-hander sent the Spaniard packing in five grueling sets in the longest match in US Open history, a four-and-a-half-hour slugfest that finally ended after 3 a.m. local time.
Alcaraz had come to New York as the man to beat. Shelton left the court as the man of the moment.
That result ripped the men’s draw wide open and guaranteed one thing: an American in the final.
Shelton’s reward is a semifinal against Frances Tiafoe, a matchup that feels less like a routine final-four tie and more like a showcase for the new face of U.S. men’s tennis.
Tiafoe had to drag himself through his own all-American battle, outlasting Alex Michelsen in a tense quarterfinal. The Maryland native, already a crowd favorite in Queens, leaned on his flair and resilience to edge past one of the rising names in the U.S. game. Now he walks into a primetime showdown with Shelton that promises noise, power, and a heavy dose of swagger.
No. 11 seed Tiafoe against No. 8 seed Shelton. Under the lights. For a place in the US Open final. The Arthur Ashe atmosphere will take care of the rest.
Zverev in control, Khachanov advances
While chaos brewed on the American side of the bracket, the top seed marched on with minimal fuss.
World No. 1 Alexander Zverev barely broke stride in his quarterfinal, cruising past Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets. The reigning French Open champion looked every bit the favorite, dictating from the baseline and never allowing the Dutchman a foothold.
Waiting for him is Karen Khachanov, who reached the semifinals in more subdued fashion. The powerful Russian advanced when Alexander Blockx retired injured in their quarterfinal, an abrupt end that still leaves Khachanov with a huge opportunity: a shot at the No. 1 seed for a place in the US Open final.
Zverev remains the man everyone else is chasing. Khachanov now gets his chance to disrupt the script.
Pegula, Gauff keep American hopes alive
The women’s draw carries its own American intrigue.
Jessica Pegula, the No. 3 seed, handled business with impressive composure against fellow American Emma Navarro in the quarterfinals. Pegula’s clean, controlled hitting shut down one of the season’s breakout players and kept her own title dream on track.
Her next assignment is as tough as it gets: No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka.
The defending US Open champion powered past Wimbledon winner Linda Nosková to return to the last four. Sabalenka’s heavy hitting and big-match experience make her the clear benchmark, but Pegula has been circling a breakthrough at a major for several seasons. Now she has a chance to take it straight from the top seed’s hands.
On the other half of the draw, Coco Gauff reminded everyone why she lifted the trophy here in 2023.
The No. 4 seed had to dig deep to turn around her quarterfinal against No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva. Gauff rallied from behind, tightened her game when it mattered most, and rode the energy of a crowd that has adopted her as its own.
Next up: Elena Rybakina, and with it, a clash that feels like a modern heavyweight duel.
Rybakina, the No. 2 seed, punched her ticket to the semis by defeating Qinwen Zheng, a victory that also elevated her to the top of the women’s rankings. Her calm power and metronomic serving now stand between Gauff and a return to the US Open final.
Semifinal schedule set in New York
Every storyline now funnels into four matches.
Women’s semifinals – Thursday, Sept. 10
No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 3 Jessica Pegula – 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
No. 2 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 4 Coco Gauff – 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Men’s semifinals – Friday, Sept. 11
No. 1 Alexander Zverev vs. Karen Khachanov – 3 p.m. ET
No. 11 Frances Tiafoe vs. No. 8 Ben Shelton – 7 p.m. ET
A record-breaking night match has already reshaped this tournament. The question now is whether New York is about to crown a new American champion—or watch the top seeds slam the door shut on the home surge.
