Ben Shelton has confirmed that an American man will be in the US Open final this year after setting up a semi-final clash with Frances Tiafoe.
Shelton beat Carlos Alcaraz in a thrilling five set match that ended at 3:33am on the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
After knocking out the defending champion, Shelton reached the US Open semi-finals for the first time since 2023.
This is where he will play his compatriot and good friend Tiafoe, who himself also won a four-hour plus quarter-final against Alex Michelsen.
Ben Shelton leads the head-to-head vs Frances Tiafoe
The US Open semi-final between Shelton and Tiafoe will be the fifth meeting between these two players.
Shelton leads the head-to-head against Tiafoe, having won three of their four previous meetings.
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Two of these four matches have taken place at the US Open, of which Shelton and Tiafoe have both won one apiece.
Shelton won their first match at the US Open in the 2023 quarter-finals, but Tiafoe took revenge on his younger compatriot a year later.
Their most recent meeting took place in the Washington Open quarter-finals last year, when Shelton beat Tiafoe 7-6(2), 6-4.
| Year | Tournament | Result |
| 2023 | US Open (QF) | Shelton beat Tiafoe, 6-2 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2 |
| 2024 | U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships – Houston (F) | Shelton beat Tiafoe, 7-5 4-6 6-3 |
| 2024 | US Open (R32) | Tiafoe beat Shelton, 4-6 7-5 6(5)-7 6-4 6-3 |
| 2025 | Washington Open (QF) | Shelton beat Tiafoe, 7-6(2) 6-4 |
Why Frances Tiafoe may actually have the advantage ahead of match vs Ben Shelton
Shelton has had the better of the head-to-head so far in their four previous meetings, but Tiafoe may actually have the advantage going into their current matchup.
Both players competed in lengthy five set quarter-final matches, with Shelton spending four hours and 28 minutes on court, while Tiafoe’s comeback win over Michelsen lasted four hours and 39 minutes.
However, the big difference between these two matches is the finish time, with Tiafoe’s win concluding just after 7pm local time, while Shelton was still on court until he beat Alcaraz at 3:33am.
This means after Shelton speaks to media and goes through the post-match recovery, he will not be going to sleep until maybe 7am in New York.
Shelton’s routine may be thrown off by this, while Tiafoe will have had a more normal preparation for a US Open semi-final.
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The one positive for Shelton regarding this is that he has two days off before his semi-final with Tiafoe, giving him more chance to reset.
Shelton will hope that this is the case, with either he or Tiafoe set to book their place in their first Grand Slam final at the US Open on Friday, September 11.
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