NEW YORK — Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen are headed to the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Ben Shelton had a chance to join them with a victory Sunday night.
The American men are making a real run at ending their lengthy Grand Slam drought.
The U.S. hasn’t had a men’s major champion since Andy Roddick won in Flushing Meadows in 2003, and there haven’t even been many great opportunities in the more than two decades since.
But backed by the home crowd and in good form, the Americans had five players in the final 16 of a major for the first time since 1995 and will be a real threat in the second week of the final Grand Slam tournament of the season.
“We play so much outside of the States obviously, a lot of time in Europe,” Tiafoe said. “This sport’s so international, so to be able to play in front of friends, family, loved ones, is amazing. They don’t get to see you much, so you want to put on a show.”
The No. 11 seed beat 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6) to move within a victory of his third appearance in the U.S. Open semifinals. To get there he'll have to beat Michelsen, who has been the dominant player in this year's tournament.
The 22-year-old from California beat No. 27 Tomas Etcheverry 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4 and is the only man who has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
“We've been working really hard to get to this point and I’m really happy but not super surprised because of all the work I put in my whole life,” Michelsen said after reaching his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.
The winner of his match against Tiafoe will face No. 2-seeded Carlos Alcaraz or the winner of the fourth-round match between No. 8 Shelton and Stefanos Tsitsipas in the semifinals.
All four men's matches Sunday had a U.S. player in it, and the Americans grabbed two of the first three. Only Alcaraz, the defending champion, was able to turn back a player from the host country, beating No. 20 seed Tommy Paul in the afternoon.
The Americans still had a chance to get one more quarterfinalist Monday when No. 14 seed Learner Tien faces Karen Khachanov.
The closest the Americans came to ending the drought was two years ago at the U.S. Open, when Taylor Fritz beat Tiafoe in the first all-American Grand Slam semifinal since 2005 to become the first American man in a major final since Roddick in 2009. Jannik Sinner beat Fritz in straight sets for the title.
The Americans had eight players in the round of 16 in the 1995 U.S. Open, advancing three to the semifinals. Pete Sampras beat Jim Courier in the semis and then No. 1 Andre Agassi in the final.
The U.S. expected to have multiple men's title contenders in that era, but some of the men have grown tired now of the annual discussion of the drought. Meanwhile, Coco Gauff has collected two trophies in recent years and Jessica Pegula has reached No. 3 in the world.
“There have been a really consistent chunk of players, Jess, Coco, you know, have been at the top and inside the top five for the last I don’t know how many years,” Taylor Townsend said after losing to women's No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka on Sunday. “Ben, Frances, Tommy, Taylor, it’s just such a great group of men as well.”
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