Frances Tiafoe is embracing the new era of unpredictability in tennis. The 20th seed, set to face fellow American Taylor Fritz in Friday’s US Open semifinal, believes the days of unbeatable stars are over. This year’s tournament has seen the fall of giants like Novak Djokovic, the 24-time Grand Slam winner, who suffered his earliest US Open exit in 18 years. Carlos Alcaraz, the 2022 champion and winner of this year’s French Open and Wimbledon, also exited in the first week. The absence of five-time US Open champion Roger Federer, who is retired, and four-time champion Rafael Nadal, who is at the twilight of his career, adds to the sense of a shifting landscape in men’s tennis.
“It was only a matter of time, the game is open. It’s not like it once was where you make quarter-finals, you play Rafa, and you’re looking at flights,” Tiafoe stated. “Now it’s just totally different and no one’s unbeatable, especially later in the season where guys are maybe a little bit cooked. Maybe just not as fresh and they’re vulnerable. It’s pretty exciting,” he added. Tiafoe, who reached the last four in 2022, is relishing this new dynamic, where upsets are becoming the norm rather than the exception.
Tiafoe progressed to the semifinals on Tuesday after ninth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov suffered an injury in the third set of their quarter-final and was forced to retire in the fourth. Meanwhile, Fritz booked his first Grand Slam semifinal by overcoming 2020 runner-up and fourth-ranked Alexander Zverev. Their historic clash will be the first all-American men’s singles semifinal since Andre Agassi defeated Robby Ginepri at the 2005 US Open. The last American man to win a Grand Slam title was Andy Roddick, who claimed the 2003 US Open. Roddick was also the last American to reach a US Open final, losing to Federer in 2006.
With the unpredictable nature of this year’s tournament, both Tiafoe and Fritz have a shot at history. The all-American semifinal is a testament to the changing tides in men’s tennis, with younger players making their mark and proving that anyone can be beaten on any given day.
