Tiafoe dreaming bigger in latest US Open semi-final berth

New York, USA – Frances Tiafoe is looking to raise the bar in his latest US Open campaign, after a tense five-set victory that secured his place in the semi-finals for the third time. The 11th seed has given New York fans plenty of memorable moments, from his unforgettable loss to Rafael Nadal in the 2022 semi-finals to his impressive win over fellow American Ben Shelton two years ago.

However, Tiafoe is determined to write a new chapter in his career, recognizing that he has evolved since his previous semi-final appearances in 2022 and 2024. "I’m just a different person in general," he said, reflecting on his growth. "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."

Tiafoe, who will face either Ben Shelton or defending champion Carlos Alcaraz next, expressed optimism about his future. "I have higher hopes for myself," he added. "So yeah, it’s great. The tournament is still going. There’s a lot more tennis to be played, a lot more sets to be played, and a lot more physical things to be done.

We’re going to enjoy this, but we got to keep going." Tiafoe's thoughts were tempered by the enduring challenge of the U.S. men’s major drought, which has plagued American players for 23 years since Andy Roddick’s last victory in New York. "The women’s side, they’ve been killing it for so long. It’s not something new," he acknowledged, giving a wide smile as he listed his female counterparts’ achievements.

"But the guys, we’ve been doing pretty well. Someone is always going deep in majors… I mean, hopefully we can do the thing, and that’s ultimately try to do the thing after two weeks. That’s like the next big step."