Long before the iconic stadium bore his name, Arthur Ashe forged a pathway for Black tennis players. On Friday night, that path led directly to Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton. Representing the past, present, and future of Black excellence in tennis, the pair carried Ashe’s mantle into a new era with unmistakable flair and fearless play.
In an epic, electrifying clash that featured two Black American male players in the semifinals for the first time, Shelton outlasted Tiafoe in four sets—4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5—to punch his ticket to his first career Grand Slam final at the 2026 US Open.
Overcoming a slow start and relying on his booming serve, Shelton, the eighth seed, fired 20 aces and seized momentum to prevail in the high-stakes battle of fan favorites. With the thrilling semi-final victory, Shelton moves on to face world No. 1 Alexander Zverev, becoming the first Black male player to appear in the U.S. Open final since Ashe made the U.S. Open final in 1972. With a win, Shelton will join Ashe as the only Black men to win a Grand Slam title, as Ashe won Wimbledon in 1975.
Carrying the weight of the home crowd’s hopes and playing on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Shelton is in pole position to become the first American man to win a major singles title since Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003.
On Sunday, Shelton will face world No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany in his first US Open men’s singles final.
In a post-match interview, Shelton expressed his excitement about the win as he stands on the cusp of making history.
“I’m going for it here, and I’m going to leave it all on the court,” Shelton told ESPN. “I hope you guys come and back me. Let’s do it for the USA.”
”This is where we want to be: at the tail end of this tournament,” Shelton added. “This is both of our favorite tournaments in the world, our favorite court in the world, and to be able to light it up in front of [this crowd] is the best feeling that there is.”
Sharing his disappointment following the loss, Tiafoe lauded Shelton’s incredible serving prowess,
”I wanted to be in a Grand Slam final. Obviously it was a big match,” Tiafoe said. “Ben played well tonight. Served really well tonight, which made it really tough on me.”
Beyond the scoreboard, the historic all-American semifinal served as a profound testament to the enduring legacy of Arthur Ashe. Shelton, 23, and Tiafoe, 28, should have plenty more opportunities to compete for Grand Slam titles on the biggest stages across the globe in tennis.
Whenever they light up the court, Shelton and Tiafoe do more than chase trophies—they walk deliberately in the footsteps of a legend, ensuring that Arthur Ashe’s vision for the game continues to bloom.
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