Frances Tiafoe produced an extraordinary comeback against Alex Michelsen to reach the US Open semifinals after surviving a dramatic five set quarterfinal.
The 11th seed struggled during the opening stages as world number 46 Michelsen controlled much of the match. Tiafoe later found himself 5 to 3 behind in the deciding set, but launched a stunning recovery.
After a final set filled with breaks of serve and repeated changes in momentum, Tiafoe held his nerve in the 10 point deciding tiebreak to secure a 5 to 7, 3 to 6, 7 to 5, 6 to 3, 7 to 6 victory, winning the final tiebreak 10 to 6.
The victory sends the 28 year old American into his third US Open semifinal in five years. He will face either defending champion Carlos Alcaraz or fellow American and eighth seed Ben Shelton.
For Michelsen, the defeat was particularly emotional. The 22 year old was playing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal and broke down in tears after the 4 hour and 38 minute contest as the two players embraced at the net.
Tiafoe was quick to praise his opponent, saying Michelsen had played well enough to win and deserved recognition for his performance.
The American admitted that his own start had been far from ideal. He joked that both the players and the crowd seemed to lack energy during the opening hours, but said the atmosphere eventually became extraordinary.
Tiafoe is now chasing his first appearance in a US Open final. He previously reached the semifinals in 2022 and 2024, losing to Alcaraz on the first occasion and Taylor Fritz two years later.
His progress this year is particularly notable because last season’s US Open campaign ended with a straight set third round defeat by Jan Lennard Struff. That loss contributed to changes in both his coaching setup and his approach to the game.
Former Grand Slam doubles champion Ryan Harrison highlighted the transformation while speaking to Sky Sports.
Harrison pointed to the contrast between Tiafoe’s fitness problems last year and his ability to compete for almost five hours now while still producing one of the fastest serves of the match.
He said Tiafoe had put in significant work in the gym away from the spotlight and praised the 28 year old for responding to criticism about his commitment by making major changes.
According to Harrison, Tiafoe’s willingness to remain patient and go through that process is now helping him compete at the highest level.
Tiafoe also believes he is a significantly different player compared with the versions who reached the last four in New York previously.
He said he will always value his semifinal runs in 2022 and 2024, but stressed that he has changed considerably since those tournaments.
A major part of that change has been his commitment to routine. Tiafoe explained that he has followed a consistent daily structure throughout the year and wants each day to feel as similar as possible.
That approach is now helping him deal with the physical and mental demands of a deep Grand Slam run as he attempts to go beyond his previous semifinal appearances and reach his first US Open final.