The US Open needed the floodlights, the night session, and then a little more. By the time Ben Shelton finally finished off Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set epic that ended after 3 a.m. in New York, the men’s draw had been ripped wide open and the semifinals had a very different feel.
The defending champion is out. The longest match in the tournament’s history — four and a half hours of shot-making, nerves, and stubborn refusal to yield — ended with the American left-hander standing over a fallen giant. Shelton didn’t just beat Alcaraz; he ran with him, traded with him, and then outlasted him on one of those Flushing Meadows nights that seem to bend time.
That result did more than silence the early-morning crowd. It guaranteed an American in the men’s final.
All-American Collision: Shelton vs. Tiafoe
Shelton’s reward is a semifinal against Frances Tiafoe, a meeting that feels less like a routine last-four clash and more like a statement about where American men’s tennis now stands.
Tiafoe, the Maryland native who has become a fixture in the second week of majors, had to survive his own test in the quarterfinals. Facing fellow American Alex Michelsen, he was pushed, probed, and forced to dig into the reserves that separate contenders from pretenders. Tiafoe outlasted him, leaning on his athleticism and swagger to pull away when it mattered.
Now the two will meet with a place in the US Open final on the line. One, the booming, fearless shot-maker who just dethroned the champion. The other, the seasoned showman who has long carried the hopes of a home crowd. Only one will walk into Sunday as the standard-bearer.
Zverev in Control, Khachanov Advances
On the other side of the men’s draw, Alexander Zverev has taken a very different route. No late-night chaos. No five-set survival act. The No. 1 seed and reigning French Open champion cruised through his quarterfinal, dismissing Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets.
It was businesslike, almost ruthless. Zverev controlled the tempo, kept the points on his terms, and never allowed the Dutchman a foothold. This is the version of Zverev that has stalked hard courts all summer: measured, confident, and unflinching in the big moments.
Waiting for him is Karen Khachanov, who moved through when Alexander Blockx retired injured in their quarterfinal. It was a subdued end to a contest that had promised more, but Khachanov will not apologize for his place in the last four. He brings weight of shot, a heavy serve, and the kind of baseline power that can trouble anyone when his timing clicks.
Zverev, though, will walk onto the court as the clear favorite. Top seed. Roland Garros champion. And now, two wins from adding another major to his résumé.
Sabalenka, Pegula Set Up Power Clash
The women’s draw has its own American storyline, and it runs straight through Jessica Pegula.
The No. 3 seed handled business in the quarterfinals, taking out fellow American Emma Navarro with the kind of controlled aggression that has become her signature. Pegula never allowed the match to drift, kept her patterns tight, and closed the door when openings appeared.
Her path now runs straight into the No. 1 seed.
Aryna Sabalenka, the defending champion, moved past Wimbledon winner Linda Nosková to return to the semifinals. Sabalenka’s power game once again set the tone: heavy serving, relentless first-strike tennis, and a willingness to live with the errors because of the damage she inflicts when she connects.
Pegula vs. Sabalenka is a contrast in rhythm more than style. Pegula prefers clarity, structure, and precision. Sabalenka thrives in the storm. One will impose order. The other will try to blow it up.
They meet Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.
Gauff Surges, Rybakina Rises
If Pegula represents steady excellence, Coco Gauff embodies something more explosive.
The No. 4 seed had to fight. Down but not broken, she rallied past No. 5 seed Mirra Andreeva in a quarterfinal that tested both her patience and her nerve. The 2023 US Open champion once again showed why New York has become her stage: the ability to absorb pressure, then flip it in an instant.
Her semifinal opponent, though, has climbed to the very top of the women’s game.
Elena Rybakina, the No. 2 seed, became the new world No. 1 by beating Qinwen Zheng. It was a performance that underlined why she now sits at the summit: that flat, penetrating serve, the clean, linear groundstrokes, and a calm presence that rarely wavers.
Gauff vs. Rybakina is a heavyweight showdown dressed as a semifinal. The reigning US Open champion against the newly crowned top-ranked player in the world. The crowd will roar for Gauff. Rybakina will try to quiet it with cold, efficient power.
They follow the first women’s semifinal on Thursday at 8:30 p.m. ET.
Semifinal Schedule
- Women’s semifinals – Thursday, Sept. 10
- No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- No. 2 Elena Rybakina vs. No. 4 Coco Gauff, 8:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Men’s semifinals – Friday, Sept. 11
- No. 1 Alexander Zverev vs. Karen Khachanov, 3 p.m. ET
- No. 11 Frances Tiafoe vs. No. 8 Ben Shelton, 7 p.m. ET
The quarterfinals gave New York an all-nighter, a dethroned champion, and a bracket loaded with storylines. Now the question is simple: who handles the weight of the moment when the lights go up again?
