Three American men have reached the US Open quarterfinals, giving the home contingent three contenders in the second week.
Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen and Ben Shelton have all advanced, with Tiafoe and Michelsen guaranteed to meet in an all-American quarterfinal. Shelton will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who has won all three of their previous meetings.
Tiafoe, the No. 11 seed and a two-time US Open semifinalist, produced a straight-sets victory over Daniil Medvedev, the 2021 champion. He beat Medvedev 7-6, 6-4, 7-6 in the fourth round.
The result carried particular weight for Tiafoe, who had beaten Medvedev only once in seven previous meetings. It also preserved his perfect record at Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he is 10-0 in matches played.
This is Tiafoe’s fourth US Open quarterfinal. His victory leaves him one win from a third appearance in the U.S. Open semifinals.
Michelsen’s route has been equally emphatic. The 22-year-old, ranked world No. 46, defeated Tomas Etcheverry 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the first Grand Slam quarterfinal of his career.
He has yet to drop a set in the tournament. That run now brings him directly into Tiafoe’s path, ensuring that one American man will progress from their quarterfinal.
Shelton completed the trio with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas on Sunday. The performance was described as Shelton’s best of the tournament and sent the No. 8 seed into a demanding meeting with Alcaraz.
Alcaraz’s unbeaten record against Shelton gives the defending champion a clear edge on their previous encounters. Shelton has joined Tiafoe and Michelsen in a US Open quarterfinal line-up featuring three American men.
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