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 captured Tiafoe covering his face with a towel as he walked through the players’ tunnel following his 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 defeat. US OPEN 2026 MEN’S SINGLES SEMI-FINALS: HIGHLIGHTS
Tiafoe had made the brighter start at Arthur Ashe Stadium, taking the opening set and putting Shelton under pressure early. But the eighth seed gradually turned the contest around, using his powerful serve and aggressive baseline game to win the next three sets and reach his first Grand Slam final.
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The final point made the defeat even more painful for Tiafoe, as a double fault handed Shelton the match. It was only Tiafoe’s second double fault of the night, and although the two Americans shared a hug at the net afterwards, the 28-year-old’s disappointment was already clear.
Moments later, Tiafoe was seen making his way through the tunnel with tears in his eyes. He pulled a towel over his face, appearing to shield himself from the cameras as the reality of another Grand Slam semi-final defeat began to sink in.
SHELTON’S COMEBACK VS TIAFOE
Tiafoe had looked in control after taking the first set 6-4, but Shelton responded immediately. He raised his level in the second and third sets, finding greater consistency from the baseline while repeatedly relying on his serve to escape pressure.
The third set produced one of the match’s defining moments when Shelton appeared to fire a 158mph serve, although the speed was later reviewed and adjusted to 144mph. He then survived a marathon final game featuring seven deuces and three set points before closing out the set 6-3.
Tiafoe continued to fight in the fourth, keeping the set level deep into the closing stages. Shelton eventually found the decisive break at 6-5, with Tiafoe’s double fault bringing an abrupt end to a contest that had lasted more than three hours.
For Shelton, the win ended his own wait after he had previously reached the US Open semi-finals in 2023. He will now face Alexander Zverev in Sunday’s final, with the German having won all five of their previous meetings.
TIAFOE’S US OPEN JOURNEY ENDS
The defeat marked another painful chapter in Tiafoe’s relationship with Flushing Meadows. All three of his Grand Slam semi-final appearances have come at the US Open, with his previous last-four run in 2024 ending against eventual runner-up Taylor Fritz.
Despite falling short again, Tiafoe’s latest run will take him to a new career-high No.8 in the ATP rankings when they are updated on Monday. Shelton will also climb to a new career-best No.4 after reaching his maiden Grand Slam final.
For Tiafoe, however, the numbers will offer little consolation after another opportunity to reach a major final slipped away on the biggest stage.
– Ends
