Frances Tiafoe rallies from two sets down to reach U.S. Open semifinals
Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen in a five-set thriller at the U.S. Open. The victory secures Tiafoe a spot in the semifinals, where he will face either Carlos Alcaraz or Ben Shelton.
Why it matters
Tiafoe's comeback highlights the high-stakes nature of Grand Slam tennis and keeps American hopes alive for a first men's title since 2003.
Frances Tiafoe kept coming back until he had reached his third U.S. Open semifinal, beating Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) on Tuesday (September 8, 2026).
Tiafoe, who lost the first two sets and then trailed 3-0 in the fifth, finally ended the match in 4 hours, 38 minutes. He then jogged over to the other side of the net, where the 22-year-old Michelsen cried on his shoulder after a devastating end to his first career major quarterfinal.
Tiafoe said his performance to start the match was slow and flat.
“It wasn't good, let's put it that way. It wasn't good,” he said. “Three out of five is a blessing, because you have time to get it together. I definitely waited for the last minute.”
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