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NEW YORK — Under the bright lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will play one of the biggest matches of their careers when they meet in the U.S. Open semifinals.
Both Fritz, seeded No. 12, and Tiafoe, seeded No. 20, will be looking to reach their first major final.
The match is not only important for them as individuals, but their encounter represents the first semi-final in the tournament to include American players since 2005, and it also guarantees an American player qualification to the final of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since 2009, and for the first time at the US Open since 2006.
With all these challenges and each hoping to make history in front of a crowd of 24,000, Friday’s match will be exciting and memorable. The two players are long-time friends and have played against each other – and are called two of the country’s brightest young stars – since their early teens.
They know each other’s game well.
“Taylor and I had a long, long talk about being the best two American players ever,” Tiafoe said after the quarterfinal. “I remember we were sitting on a plane a few years ago, and he’s a very cocky guy, and he was like, ‘Bro, I think you and I are going to be the best two American players ever and we’re going to lead the way…’”
“I think we’ve always pushed each other. And now I think it’s great that we get to compete against each other in a big game like this, and I’m happy for him. I know he’s happy for me. Let the better man win on Friday. It’s going to be epic. Popcorn, do what you gotta do. It’s going to be a fun game on Friday.”
While the semifinal showdown could go either way, and definitely make sure to get your popcorn ready, here’s why both players have a chance to come away with the win – and how it might play out.
0:48
Taylor Fritz reaches first Grand Slam semifinal
American Taylor Fritz beats Alexander Zverev to reach US Open semi-finals.
Fritz case
History is certainly on Fritz’s side. The two have met seven times on tour, with Fritz winning their previous six meetings, most recently in the quarterfinals in Acapulco last season. Not only has Fritz, 26, won those matches, he’s won four of them in straight sets, including their only major meeting at the 2022 Australian Open.
Tiafoe last won more than eight years ago in the first round at Indian Wells in 2016. So it’s been a long time coming, and Fritz clearly has the edge in the matchup.
Fritz also showed incredible mental strength during his run in New York, and arguably had the toughest road to the semifinals of all the remaining players. His second-round opponent was 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, but he won in straight sets. In the fourth round, he fought back after losing the first set to three-time Grand Slam finalist Casper Ruud, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
In his fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal, having never reached the semifinals, he beat two-time finalist Alexander Zverev in a fourth-set tiebreaker to win. He held his nerve and consistently played his best tennis, even as the attention and pressure continued.
“I know it’s great to be in the semifinals, but I have the mindset that the job is not done yet,” Fritz said Tuesday before finding out who he will face next. “I continue to take each match as it comes as if I’ve been in the whole tournament and focus on the next match ahead of me.”
Fritz’s serve has been perhaps his most valuable weapon over the past two weeks, with an 83% first-serve win rate – the best among men at the tournament – and he has faced just 17 break points in his five matches. Not to mention, he has been able to use his powerful serve at crucial moments, and he will no doubt try to do the same against Tiafoe.
0:46
Tiafoe reaches US Open semis as Dimitrov withdraws with injury
American Frances Tiafoe has qualified for the semi-finals of the US Open, where she will face compatriot Taylor Fritz, after Grigor Dimitrov withdrew due to injury.
Tiafoe’s condition
Tiafoe, 26, played all but one match on Ashe Stadium during the 2024 US Open, and after defeating Ben Shelton in a five-set thriller 4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 in the third round, he shouted, “This is my f**king house!”
Well, he’s kind of right. Perhaps no one has managed to draw in the crowds and harness their support on court in recent years like Tiafoe — even in matches where he was clearly the underdog. In 2022, he beat Rafael Nadal in four sets on court in the round of 16 and cemented his status as a crowd favorite and high-energy showman.
Although Tiafoe struggled at times during the year, he found his rhythm and results during the hardcourt season in the summer. After missing the Olympics to focus on his favorite surface and main event, Tiafoe went 14-4, reaching the final at the last warm-up tournament in Cincinnati and reaching the semifinals at the Citi Open in his hometown earlier in August. Although he didn’t face the same level of competition as Fritz in New York, he did have wins over top-20 players like Andrey Rublev, Lorenzo Muzzetti, Hubert Hurkacz and Holger Rune in the past month.
Tiafoe is a dynamic player in movement and shot-making, and he believes his previous encounters with Fritz will have little impact on the outcome of Friday’s match when the stakes are at an all-time high.
“It’s different in Ash, man. It’s different,” Tiafoe said. “Obviously you have to learn from those (previous matches). I mean, some of those matches I thought I should have won them already…
“It’s going to be a big match for both of us, playing to get to the final. I don’t think those matches are anywhere near the level of this one, so it’s hard to go from there. Playing in the quarterfinals of the Acapulco 500 and playing in the semifinals at Arthur Ashe Stadium in the evening – or hopefully in the evening – is a little bit different.”
Well, who actually wins?
It’s safe to assume that nerves will be a factor for both players. This is a huge opportunity for both, and they won’t be able to forget the moment or what’s at stake. In many ways, it may simply come down to who can control those emotions better, especially early on. And because both are Americans, every point — regardless of who wins — is likely to elicit cheers, and while they will be loud throughout the match, they may be less impactful than they have been in other matches.
Fritz is clearly going to win the tournament. Their head-to-head records support that, and his resume at this tournament is much stronger. But it’s hard to imagine anyone wanting to win more than Tiafoe, who has been laser-focused on his primary goal of US Open glory for most of the year. He’s hitting his peak at just the right time.
“It’s like a joke that Frances wakes up in August,” he told reporters Tuesday.
Although Tiafoe’s opponents weren’t as experienced or tough as Fritz’s, he’s had some fights — most notably against Shelton in the third round — and he’s still found a way to win. Going into his second major semifinal, he knows what to expect and the emotions that come with it. It may not be practical, but this looks like a match Tiafoe can lose.
Tiafoe won in five sets, and as he said earlier in the tournament: “Why not?”
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