American Men's Semifinal Guarantees Home Finalist
Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will meet in the US Open semifinals, ensuring an American man will contest Sunday's final. Andy Roddick, the 2003 champion, remains the most recent American man to win a Grand Slam. Shelton advanced by upsetting defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in tournament history, after he saved a fifth-set tie-break and struck a 150 mph serve. Tiafoe came back from two sets down against Alex Michelsen, who had served for a straight-sets win. Tiafoe, ranked outside the Top 30 in January, will rise to No. 6 if he reaches the final and No. 4 if he wins the title.[S1]
Tiafoe has now reached the US Open semifinals three times in the past five years, drawing large crowds at Armstrong Stadium. He could avenge his fourth-round loss to Alexander Zverev at Indian Wells this year if both reach the final. Zverev, the top seed, faces Karen Khachanov in the other semifinal.[S1]
Rybakina Ends Sabalenka's No. 1 Reign, Sets Up Final
Elena Rybakina's run to the semifinals guaranteed she will end Aryna Sabalenka's 99-week stay atop the WTA Rankings on Monday. In Saturday's final, Rybakina can avenge her loss to Sabalenka in this year's BNP Paribas Open final, where Sabalenka saved a championship point, and in the Miami Open semifinals. Sabalenka went on to complete the Sunshine Double by winning Miami but has not lifted a trophy since. The US Open final is also a bookend to the Grand Slam season, which began with Rybakina beating Sabalenka in the Australian Open final.[S1]
Sabalenka, who defeated Jessica Pegula in the semifinals, said she is determined to reclaim the top ranking and finish the year at No. 1, making a win over Rybakina critical. Rybakina defeated Coco Gauff, the 2023 champion, in the semifinals, ending the possibility of an all-American women's final. Sabalenka is trying to become the fourth woman in nine years to win both the BNP Paribas Open and US Open in the same year, after Naomi Osaka in 2018, Bianca Andreescu in 2019, and Iga Swiatek in 2022. In the quarterfinals, Sabalenka repeated her BNP Paribas Open semifinal win over Linda Noskova, who won Wimbledon in July.[S1]
