The US Open men's singles semifinals will feature an all-American showdown between No. 11 Frances Tiafoe and No. 8 Ben Shelton on September 11. This match marks a historic moment in tennis, as it is the first time in the Open era, which began in 1968, that two Black men will compete against each other in a Grand Slam semifinal.
Both players advanced to the semifinals after demanding five-set matches in the quarterfinals. Tiafoe secured his spot by overcoming a two-set deficit in a grueling five-hour match against his close friend Alex Michelsen. Shelton also battled through five sets, defeating the reigning US Open champion Carlos Alcaraz in a match that concluded shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday.
The winner of the Tiafoe-Shelton semifinal will advance to the men's singles final on Sunday. Should an American emerge victorious, they will become the first American man to win a Grand Slam title in 23 years.
The semifinal match is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET on September 11, and will be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York. For those without cable, the match can be streamed on ESPN. DIRECTV is offering a five-day free trial of its live TV streaming service, which includes ESPN as part of its package of over 125 channels.