NEW YORK -- Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz have set up an all-American showdown in the US Open semifinals, ensuring that a U.S. player will compete in the men's title match at the nation's Grand Slam tournament for the first time in 18 years.
The 20th-seeded Tiafoe advanced to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows for the second time in three years after his quarterfinal opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, was forced to retire due to injury in the fourth set. Tiafoe was leading 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 4-1 as midnight approached when Dimitrov pulled out, ending the match in an anticlimactic fashion that reflected the overall uneven quality of play.
"It's not the way I wanted to advance," Tiafoe admitted, "but I'm obviously happy to be through. Another semifinal here—it's incredible."
A moment that highlighted the inconsistency of the match: Dimitrov held three set points in the second-set tiebreaker at 6-3. He double-faulted on the first, then again on the second. On the third, Tiafoe responded with a double fault of his own, conceding the set.
Earlier in the day, Fritz earned his spot in the semifinals in a much more satisfying manner. After years of steadily climbing the rankings and establishing himself as the top American man in tennis, Fritz finally broke through on home soil, defeating No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev 7-6 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (3) to reach his first career Grand Slam semifinal.
The 12th-seeded Taylor Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, entered Tuesday with an 0-4 record in Grand Slam quarterfinals.
On Friday, he will face off against longtime friend Frances Tiafoe, also 26, from Maryland. Tiafoe reached the semifinals at the US Open in 2022, where he was defeated by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
"It's the biggest match of both mine and Taylor's careers. We've known each other for so long—we've been competing against each other since we were 14," Tiafoe said during an on-court interview. "Playing him here at the US Open is going to be awesome. I know we're both Americans, but I hope you'll all be with me on Friday."
As professionals, Fritz holds a 6-1 head-to-head advantage over Tiafoe.
"I definitely didn't expect him to achieve what he has," Tiafoe remarked. "He's transformed his body remarkably and is incredibly talented. Back in the day, he was more of a part-time player, only practicing a couple of times a week. He went to a regular high school and lived a normal life while the rest of us were grinding. But once he started dedicating more time to the sport, you could see how committed he was and how much he wanted it."
He continued, "As we all turned pro, we pushed each other to become great. Sometimes it was unspoken, but other times we talked about it—none of us wanted to leave anyone behind. It's been special to be part of this journey together."
The Fritz-Tiafoe semifinal—"That could be crazy," Fritz said before knowing his opponent—marks the first all-American men's semifinal at a Grand Slam since 2005 when Andre Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri at the US Open.
No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick's victory at the 2003 US Open. Roddick was also the last American to reach the US Open final, where he lost to Roger Federer in 2006, and the last to appear in any major final, finishing as the runner-up at Wimbledon in 2009.
"We've talked about this for years—this is the group," Tiafoe said, referring to himself, Fritz, Tommy Paul, and Reilly Opelka. "We've all been knocking on the door. Taylor's been in and out of the top 10; I was ranked 10th this time last year, and Tommy's been knocking on the door with some great performances. It's only a matter of time."
Tiafoe added, "The game has evolved—it's not like it used to be where you reach a quarterfinal, face someone like Rafael Nadal, and start looking at flights. Now, it's different. No one is unbeatable, especially later in the season when players might be a bit worn out and more vulnerable. It's exciting."
Grigor Dimitrov, the 9th seed, had played a grueling five-set match in the fourth round and appeared to be struggling physically late in the third set against Tiafoe. He was seen grabbing his left hamstring, moving gingerly between points, and his serves lacked the speed they had earlier in the match. After the third set, Dimitrov received treatment from a trainer and then headed to the locker room for further care.
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