Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz have secured an all-American semifinal at the US Open, ensuring the United States will have a male finalist at the country’s Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 18 years.
The 20th-seeded Tiafoe advanced to the final four at Flushing Meadows for the second time in three years after his quarterfinal opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, retired due to injury in the fourth set. Tiafoe was leading 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1 as midnight approached when Dimitrov stopped playing, marking an anticlimactic end to a contest that had seen its share of uneven play.
“It’s not the way I want to get through,” Tiafoe commented, “but obviously happy to get through. Another semifinal here. Incredible.”
Earlier in the day, Fritz secured his spot in the semifinals with a hard-fought victory over No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev, winning 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3). This marks the first time Fritz has reached a major semifinal, a significant milestone after losing all four Grand Slam quarterfinal matches.
The 12th-seeded Fritz, a 26-year-old Californian, will face his longtime friend Tiafoe, a 26-year-old from Maryland, in Friday’s semifinal. Tiafoe previously lost to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the 2022 US Open semifinals.
“It’s the biggest match of me and Taylor’s life,” Tiafoe said during an on-court interview. “We’ve known each other for so long. I’ve been playing against him since [14-and-under tournaments]. So to be able to play him here … is going to be awesome. I know we’re two Americans, but I hope you’re all with me come Friday.”
Fritz holds a 6-1 head-to-head advantage over Tiafoe as professionals, adding another layer of intrigue to their upcoming clash.
“I definitely wasn’t thinking he was going to do what he’s done,” Tiafoe said of Fritz. “He’s changed his body unbelievably. He’s just really talented. He was like a part-time player. He played a couple times a week. And he’ll tell you, he went to a normal high school. He was like a normal kid while we’re out there grinding. Then he started putting more into it.”
Fritz echoed the excitement about their upcoming match, calling it “crazy” before he knew he would face Tiafoe.
This semifinal between Tiafoe and Fritz is the first all-American men’s semifinal at any major since 2005 when Andre Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri in New York.
No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick triumphed at the US Open in 2003. Roddick was also the last American man to reach the US Open final, where he lost to Roger Federer in 2006. The last American man to reach any significant final was Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009.
“We spoke about it for years: This is the group,” Tiafoe said, referencing himself, Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Reilly Opelka. “We’ve all been knocking on the door. Taylor has been in and out of the top 10, myself was 10 this time last year and Tommy’s knocking on the door from quarters playing great. It’s only a matter of time.”
Dimitrov, the No. 9 seed, had played a five-setter in the fourth round and appeared to be struggling physically late in the match against Tiafoe. He grabbed at his left hamstring, walked gingerly between points, and hit serves much slower than earlier in the evening. After the third set, Dimitrov received treatment but eventually decided to retire.
The remaining men’s quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday. They will feature No. 1 Jannik Sinner against No. 5 Daniil Medvedev and No. 10 Alex De Minaur against No. 25 Jack Draper.
Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz have set the stage for a historic showdown at the US Open, guaranteeing an American presence in the final for the first time since Andy Roddick in 2006.