Frances Tiafoe leaves US Open semis in tears after defeat by Shelton: WATCH

Frances Tiafoe’s US Open dream ended in heartbreaking fashion as the American was left in tears after falling to Ben Shelton in the semi-finals. Cameras caught Tiafoe covering his face with a towel as he walked through the players’ tunnel after the 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 defeat. US OPEN 2026 MEN’S SINGLES SEMI-FINALS: HIGHLIGHTS

Tiafoe had the better start at Arthur Ashe Stadium, taking the opening set and putting Shelton under pressure early. But the eighth seed gradually turned the match around and used his powerful serve and aggressive ground game to win the next three sets. reached his first Grand Slam final.

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The last point made the defeat even more painful for Tiafoe as a double fault gave Shelton the match. It was only Tiafoe’s second double fault of the night, and although the two Americans hugged at the net afterwards, the 28-year-old’s disappointment was already clear.

Moments later, Tiafoe was seen walking through the tunnel with tears in his eyes. He pulled a towel over his face and appeared to shield himself from the cameras as the reality of yet another Grand Slam semi-final defeat began to sink in.

SHELTON’S COMEBACK VS TIAFOE

Tiafoe was in control 6-4 after the first set, but Shelton responded immediately. He raised his level in the second and third sets, finding more consistency from the baseline while repeatedly relying on his serve to escape pressure.

The third set produced one of the defining moments of the match when Shelton apparently fired a 158mph serve, although the speed was later checked and adjusted to 144mph. He then survived a marathon final match with seven deuces and three set points before closing out the set 6-3.

Tiafoe continued to fight in the fourth and kept the level set deep into the closing stages. Shelton eventually found the deciding break at 6-5, with Tiafoe’s double fault bringing an abrupt end to the match that lasted more than three hours.

For Shelton, the win ended his own wait after previously reaching the semi-finals of the US Open in 2023. He will now face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, with the German having won all five of their previous meetings.

TIAFOE US OPEN JOURNEY ENDS

The defeat marked another painful chapter in Tiafoe’s relationship with Flushing Meadows. All three of his Grand Slam semifinal appearances have come at the US Open, with his previous four finals in 2024 ending against eventual runner-up Taylor Fritz.

Despite falling behind again, Tiafoe’s latest run takes him to a new career high of No. 8 in the ATP rankings, which will be updated on Monday. Shelton also climbs to a new career-best No. 4 after reaching his first Grand Slam final.

But for Tiafoe, the numbers will offer little consolation after another opportunity to reach a grand final slipped away on the biggest stage.

– The end

Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

12 Sep 2026 11:03 IST