NEW YORK — Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will make tennis history Friday when they become the first two Black American men to face each other in a Grand Slam semifinal during the Open Era.
The landmark meeting at the 2026 U.S. Open guarantees that a Black American man will advance to the tournament’s singles final for the first time since Arthur Ashe in 1972. It will also send a Black American man to any Grand Slam final for the first time since MaliVai Washington reached the Wimbledon championship match in 1996.
Shelton, the No. 8 seed, advanced by defeating defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m.—the latest finish in U.S. Open history, according to Reuters. The victory was Shelton’s first over the seven-time Grand Slam champion.
Tiafoe, seeded 11th, reached his third U.S. Open semifinal after rallying from two sets down to defeat fellow American Alex Michelsen. The comeback added another chapter to Tiafoe’s strong record in New York, where he also reached the semifinals in 2022 and 2024.
The two Americans are familiar rivals. Shelton defeated Tiafoe in the 2023 U.S. Open quarterfinals, while Tiafoe won their five-set rematch in the third round the following year. Their latest meeting carries much larger stakes: a place in Sunday’s final and an opportunity to end a long championship drought for American men.
No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick captured the U.S. Open in 2003.
Coco Gauff is also part of the historic run by Black American players in New York. The 22-year-old former U.S. Open champion saved two match points before defeating Mirra Andreeva 2-6, 7-6 (7), 6-2 to reach the women’s semifinals.
Gauff told Reuters that she never expected to witness an all-Black men’s semifinal during her lifetime. She described the moment as especially meaningful with her own place in the women’s final four secured.
The achievement builds on the legacies of Black tennis pioneers including Althea Gibson, who broke the U.S. national championship color barrier in 1950, and Ashe, whose name now identifies the tournament’s main stadium. It also reflects the influence of Serena and Venus Williams, whose careers expanded the visibility and expectations of Black athletes throughout the sport.
Shelton and Tiafoe are scheduled to meet Friday for the right to play either Alexander Zverev or Karen Khachanov in the men’s final. Regardless of the result, the match has already secured a new place in tennis history.
Sources: Reuters, Sept. 10, 2026; Reuters match preview, Sept. 10, 2026; and The Guardian, Sept. 10, 2026.
