Shelton vs. Tiafoe: A Historic US Open Semifinal and How to Watch

For the first time in the Open Era, two Black American men will meet in a Grand Slam semifinal. Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe face each other on Friday night, September 11, at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, and this US Open semifinal guarantees that a Black American man will play for the championship on Sunday. Add Coco Gauff, still alive in the women’s draw, and three Black American singles players have reached the final four of their events in Queens this year.

It is the kind of week Black tennis fans have waited decades for, and it arrives with plenty of drama already baked in. Here is how both men got here, why the moment carries so much history, and how to watch the rest of the tournament.

How Shelton and Tiafoe Reached the Semifinals

Shelton, the No. 8 seed, earned his spot the hard way. He beat defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five set quarterfinal that ended around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, which ABC News reported as the latest finish in US Open history. The 23 year old played two years of college tennis at the University of Florida and is coached by his father, a former professional. This is his third major semifinal. He lost the first two in straight sets, including at the 2023 US Open, so Friday is also a chance to prove he has grown into these nights.

Tiafoe, the No. 11 seed, needed even more nerve. He fell behind two sets to none against Alex Michelsen and battled back to win a fifth set tiebreak in a match that ran close to five hours. Afterward, he paused his celebration to console Michelsen, a moment that said a lot about the 28 year old from Maryland. The son of immigrants from Sierra Leone who fled that country’s civil war, Tiafoe also reached the US Open semifinals in 2022 and 2024, losing both in five sets.

The two know each other’s games well. According to the ATP Tour’s semifinal preview, Shelton leads their rivalry three matches to one, but they have split their two meetings in New York. Shelton won their 2023 quarterfinal, and Tiafoe took their 2024 third round match.

Why This US Open Semifinal Carries So Much History

Arthur Ashe won the first US Open of the Open Era in 1968. As Andscape laid out this week, no Black American man has won the men’s singles title in New York since. Ashe was also the last Black American man to reach the US Open final, in 1972, and the last Black American man to reach any major final was MaliVai Washington at Wimbledon in 1996. Whoever wins Friday ends a 54 year wait for a final appearance on this stage.

That history goes back further than Ashe. Black players were long shut out of the sport’s main tournaments, which is why clubs formed the American Tennis Association in Washington, D.C., in 1916. The ATA calls itself the oldest African American tennis organization in the country. Its officials helped negotiate Althea Gibson’s entry into the U.S. National Championships in 1950, and Dr. Robert Walter Johnson’s junior program in Lynchburg, Virginia, helped develop a young Ashe.

Gauff put the week in plain words. Speaking about the men’s matchup, she said, “I never thought I would see an all-Black semifinal between the guys,” according to theGrio. She added that she respects both players and hopes whoever wins can bring the trophy home.

Coco Gauff’s Thursday Night Test

Gauff has her own history to chase. On September 9, she dropped the first set to Mirra Andreeva, saved two match points in a second set tiebreak, and rolled through the third. “I think the motto of the match is just to fight,” she said afterward, NBC Sports reported. That comeback echoed her 2023 title run, when she also recovered from a slow start to beat Aryna Sabalenka in the final.

Her semifinal opponent is Elena Rybakina, who clinched the world No. 1 ranking by reaching this round, ending Sabalenka’s 99 week reign at the top. Sabalenka plays Jessica Pegula in the other women’s semifinal. If you followed Gauff’s summer, this is another deep run after her Wimbledon semifinal in July.

How to Watch the Rest of the US Open

Semifinals

Thursday, September 10: The women’s semifinals are on ESPN. Sabalenka and Pegula play first, and Gauff and Rybakina start no sooner than 8:10 p.m. ET, according to Yahoo Sports’ viewing guide.

Friday, September 11: Alexander Zverev and Karen Khachanov open at 3 p.m. ET. Shelton and Tiafoe follow in the night session at 7 p.m. ET, also on ESPN.

Finals

The women’s final is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. The men’s final is Sunday, September 13, at 2 p.m. ET on ABC.

Streaming

If you do not have cable, the matches are available through ESPN’s streaming service and on live TV services that carry ESPN and ABC, including YouTube TV and DirecTV. ESPN Deportes carries Spanish language coverage.

What This Means for You: Getting the Next Generation on Court

Moments like this send kids to the courts. If yours come away from the weekend asking to play, the good news is that tennis does not have to be expensive to start.

Look for a free or low cost youth program

The USTA Foundation’s National Junior Tennis and Learning network includes more than 260 nonprofit youth development organizations that offer free or low cost tennis alongside education programming. The network serves more than 165,000 young people each year, many of them in lower income communities.

Find courts and coaches near you

The USTA’s play near me search lets you look up local courts, programs, and Safe Play approved coaches in one place. Public park courts are often free to use, which makes practice easy once lessons start.

Connect with the Black tennis community

The American Tennis Association still runs national championships and youth development programs, with junior, adult, and family memberships. It is a way to plug into a century of Black tennis tradition, not just watch it on TV.

Friday night will produce a winner and a loser, and both men have already given young Black players a picture of what is possible. Watch it with somebody who needs to see it, then go find a court.