Frances Tiafoe completed one of the most dramatic comebacks in recent US Open history Tuesday, rallying from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6) and reach his third US Open semifinal.
The No. 11-seeded Tiafoe needed 4 hours and 38 minutes to finish the all-American quarterfinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium. After match point, he jogged to the net where the 22-year-old Michelsen cried on his shoulder following the devastating end to his first career major quarterfinal.
"I'm going to enjoy this one, though. Let's go!" Tiafoe told the crowd after securing his spot in the final four.
The comeback looked impossible early. Michelsen had been the only man in the tournament who hadn't dropped a set through four rounds, and he dominated the first two sets. He even served to win the match with a 5-4 lead in the third set before nerves struck. Michelsen started with consecutive double-faults, and Tiafoe broke when his opponent couldn't put away a shot at the net.
Even then, Tiafoe faced long odds. Michelsen broke early in the fifth set and built a commanding 3-0 lead, prompting Tiafoe to spike his racket to the court in frustration. But the veteran found another gear, eventually taking control by winning three straight points in the match tiebreaker for a 7-4 lead. He sealed the victory with an ace clocked at 135 mph after Michelsen won the next two points.
The victory marks Tiafoe's third US Open semifinal appearance, matching his runs in 2022 and 2024. He joins Andre Agassi as the only American men to reach three US Open semifinals in this century and will return to the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in three years.
Tiafoe now awaits the winner of Tuesday's late match between defending champion Carlos Alcaraz and No. 8 Ben Shelton. The winner of that match will guarantee the Americans have someone in Sunday's final as they seek their first men's Grand Slam title since Andy Roddick's 2003 triumph at Flushing Meadows.
The Maryland native has painful history in US Open semifinals. He lost to Alcaraz in 2022, when the Spaniard won his first of seven Grand Slam titles. Two years later, Tiafoe fell to fellow American Taylor Fritz, when the US came closest to ending its men's drought.
For Michelsen, ranked No. 46, the loss dropped his record to 0-6 in matches that go to a fifth set. The defeat ended what had been a breakthrough tournament for the young Californian, who had never before reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal.
Tiafoe's comeback joined rare company in US Open history. It was the first time a player had rallied from two sets down in a men's quarterfinal since Roger Federer accomplished the feat against Gael Monfils in 2014, and only the fourth time it has happened at Flushing Meadows in the Open era.
The victory capped a career-best season for the 28-year-old Tiafoe, who entered the tournament ranked No. 12 following his first ATP 500 title at Halle in June and a runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Open in August. Two days earlier, he had delivered one of the signature wins of his career, dispatching 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in straight sets in the Round of 16.
Tiafoe planned to watch at least part of the Alcaraz-Shelton match, but first he wanted to savor his latest comeback under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights, where he has built a reputation as one of tennis's most clutch performers.
