Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton are set to meet in a US Open semi-final on Friday night, a match that will see the victor become the first black man to reach a Grand Slam final since Jo Wilfried Tsonga at the 2008 Australian Open. The winner will also be the first African American man to reach a Grand Slam final since MaliVai Washington in 1996.
This significant match follows a historic Cincinnati Open less than three weeks ago, where two black players, Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe, competed in a Masters 1000 final for the first time. Fils defeated Tiafoe to win his first major title, preceded by Ben Shelton's triumph at the Canadian Open.
Both Tiafoe, 28, and Shelton, 23, are competing in their third major semi-final. Shelton recently secured his biggest career win against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, while Tiafoe has focused on professionalism and consistency this season. Their previous US Open encounters include Shelton's quarter-final win in 2023 and Tiafoe's five-set victory in the third round in 2024.
The match holds additional importance for Tiafoe and Shelton as two Americans competing in the US Open, with the winner having the opportunity to become the third black man to win a Grand Slam, following Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah.