Sports
Tiafoe Rallies From Two Sets Down to Stun Michelsen, Reach US Open Semi-Finals
Frances Tiafoe completed a stunning comeback at the US Open on Tuesday, defeating fellow American Alex Michelsen 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (6) in a quarter-final that lasted more than four and a half hours at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 11th-seeded Tiafoe was two sets down and two points from elimination in the third set before turning the match around to reach his third US Open semi-final in five years.
At the finish, an emotional Michelsen embraced Tiafoe near the court, in tears, and the two remained together for about 23 seconds. Tiafoe will next face the winner of Carlos Alcaraz and Ben Shelton on Friday for a place in his first grand slam final.
"The moment is huge. Can't downplay it at all," Tiafoe said afterward. "Two sets to love down, him serving for it, I'm down breaks early in the fifth. There were so many times where I was down... It was definitely a Braveheart-type win. It ranks pretty high in probably all-time wins in a slam."
The match was played in a subdued, half-empty Ashe Stadium after many fans left following Aryna Sabalenka's earlier three-set win over Linda Noskova. Tiafoe, who had played his previous four rounds at the more intimate Louis Armstrong Stadium, where he remains unbeaten in 10 career matches, appeared to be at a disadvantage in the bigger arena.
Michelsen, an unseeded 22-year-old from Laguna Hills, California, dominated the early stages. He won the first set 7-5 after trading breaks early on, then took the second set 6-3, breaking Tiafoe's serve three times. In the third set, Michelsen built a 5-3 lead and looked set to become the first American man to reach the US Open semi-finals without dropping a set since Jim Courier in 1991. However, he opened the ninth game with two double faults, allowing Tiafoe to break back and level at 5-5. Tiafoe went on to win the set in a tiebreak, saving one set point against Michelsen before converting his own chance when Michelsen missed a forehand volley.
The momentum shifted dramatically from there. Tiafoe carried his late third-set surge into the fourth, breaking early and controlling play as Michelsen's composure faltered, committing 16 unforced errors in the set. Tiafoe closed it out to force a decider.
The fifth set produced high-quality tennis from both players. Michelsen broke early for a 3-0 lead, but Tiafoe broke back to level. The set stayed on serve until a deciding tiebreak, where Tiafoe built a 6-4 lead, extended it to 8-6 with a 135 mph ace, and closed out the match on his third match point with a forehand passing shot winner. The contest lasted four hours and 38 minutes.
Michelsen, who had not dropped a set in the tournament prior to the final, reflecting on the turning point, said: "You're four points away from making a semi-final of the US Open. After I double-faulted twice, I was like, 'Oh, here we go. It's not good.' I feel like I just handed it to him."
He added of the emotional aftermath: "The match was very emotionally draining. It's just Frances. I don't think anyone else could have made me cry in that moment, to be honest... he's such a good guy, and he said a lot of personal things and just kind of got to me."
Tiafoe said of the exchange: "I really like Alex. I really, really do. And I just wanted to come up there and just dap him up. I didn't think it was going to be as long as it was, but I understand the moment."
For Michelsen, ranked No. 46 in the world, the loss ended a breakthrough run that included wins over 16th seed Brandon Nakashima and 27th seed Tomas Martín Etcheverry, and made him the first player born in 2004 to reach a major quarter-final.
For Tiafoe, the win extended an eventful tournament that began with a comeback from two sets down against Martin Damm in the first round, followed by straight-set wins over Rei Sakamoto, Valentin Vacherot and seventh-seeded Daniil Medvedev. Tuesday's victory marked his third career comeback from two sets down in a match.
Tiafoe, from Hyattsville, Maryland, previously reached the US Open semi-finals in 2022 and 2024, becoming only the second American man this century — after Andre Agassi — to reach three US Open semi-finals.
"I'm just a different person in general," Tiafoe said. "Those two runs were great, something I will cherish forever, but I'm not that person who I was when I made one in 2022 and when I made one in '24. I'm excited to see what this me does come Friday."