Both Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe won their respective quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday into Wednesday, meaning the two Americans will face each other in Friday’s semifinal, and whoever wins will represent the U.S. in Sunday’s final. This guarantees an American man will play for the US Open title this year, giving the U.S. its best shot at a men’s singles champion since Andy Roddick won the tournament back in 2003.How They Got HereBen Shelton delivered arguably the best win of his career early Wednesday morning, outlasting two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(10-7). The match didn’t end until 3:33 a.m., on a 146-mph ace from Shelton, making it the latest finish in US Open history. This win snapped an 18-match winning streak at majors for Alcaraz and a perfect 13-0 record against American opponents.After the match, Shelton said, “I’m tired. It was a war… Carlos is one of the greatest champions of our sport.” Despite being humble, Shelton was visibly excited following the win, calling the match “the most enjoyable match I've had in my career.”Meanwhile, Frances Tiafoe’s path was a bit scrappier but no less dramatic. As the No. 11 seed, Tiafoe fell behind two sets and trailed 3-0 in the fifth against fellow American Alex Michelsen on Tuesday, before storming back to win 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6). This marks his third US Open semifinal in the last five years, and continues a recent hot streak from Tiafoe after a strong showing in Cincinnati.Breaking a 23-Year DroughtNo American man has won the US Open since Roddick’s 2003 title. This drought has produced plenty of near-misses but very few legitimate opportunities like this one.In 2024, Taylor Fritz made the final after he and Tiafoe played the first all-American men’s Slam semifinal since 2005, but Fritz fell to Jannik Sinner in straight sets. This year, with Sinner absent and Alcaraz now eliminated, the picture looks much different. The main obstacle standing in the way of a American men's singles champion is Alexander Zverev.Tiafoe pointed to the depth behind this generation of American men when asked about it this week, naming Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, Learner Tien, and Alex Michelsen as a wave of American talent that’s pushed deep into majors recently. Despite this, the Americans are still waiting for their first US Open title in 23 years. A Historic SemifinalFriday’s semifinal matchup carries some extra weight beyond just the American men’s drought. It marks the first time that two Black American men have met in a Grand Slam semifinal in the Open era, and whoever wins will become the first African American man to reach the US Open final since Arthur Ashe won the title in 1968.A Familiar FoeShelton and Tiafoe have met at the US Open once before, specifically in the 2023 quarterfinals, when Shelton won a four-set battle that also went past midnight. Friday’s rematch carries much higher stakes this time, including a ticket to the US Open final and a shot at ending the sport’s longest-running American drought.Whoever wins will face the winner of Friday’s other semifinal matchup, which will be either No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev or unseeded Karen Khachanov, in Sunday’s championship match.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow