{
  "id": 6431692,
  "title": "Francis Tiafoe turns US Open into his home court, but Ben Shelton is coming for the crown",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/francis-tiafoe-turns-us-open-into-his-home-court-but-ben-shelton-is",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-09T14:47:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "SB Nation",
    "slug": "sb-nation",
    "url": "https://www.sbnation.com/tennis/1127695/francis-tiafoe-vs-ben-shelton-us-open-into-his-home-court-but-ben-shelton-crowd-home-court"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "New York, September 8, 2026 - Francis Tiafoe delivered a masterful performance at the 2026 US Open, overcoming a 3-0 deficit to defeat fellow American Alex Michelsen in four sets, 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6). Tiafoe, who has never advanced past the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam outside of New York, is now heading into his third US Open semifinal in five years with newfound confidence. The match, which lasted four hours and thirty-eight minutes, featured Tiafoe's trademark charisma and energy, which initially waned after a slow start. However, as Michelsen's nerves faltered, Tiafoe's composure returned and he ultimately secured a hard-fought victory over his more experienced opponent. Following his win, Tiafoe embraced his 24-year-old rival, showing his empathy and solidarity towards his friend. Meanwhile, Ben Shelton, who upset world No. 2 Felix Auger-Aliassime in a grueling match, will face Tiafoe in the semifinals on Friday. Between them, both players have showcased their prowess and dominance at the Flushing Meadows stadium, where Tiafoe has won 10 matches and lost none throughout his career.",
  "summary": "There’s no exact thing as “home court advantage” in professional tennis. Sure, you can play a tournament in your home country, even in your home city, but how well that helps you is an open-ended question. The ATP is a global tour, featuring players who travel for three quarters of the year—and who, in most […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 8,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "US Open: Ben Shelton powers through Carlos Alcaraz in historic, late-night thriller",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/us-open-ben-shelton-powers-through-carlos-alcaraz-in-historic-late",
        "published": "2026-09-09T07:35:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Times of India",
        "title": "Ben Shelton stuns defending champion Carlos Alcaraz to reach US Open semis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/ben-shelton-stuns-defending-champion-carlos-alcaraz-to-reach-us-open",
        "published": "2026-09-09T07:44:22.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "MyJoyOnline Ghana",
        "title": "Shelton ends Alcaraz’s title reign in late-night marathon, will face Tiafoe in US Open semis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/shelton-ends-alcarazs-title-reign-in-late-night-marathon-will-face",
        "published": "2026-09-09T08:03:31.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "BBC Sport",
        "title": "Shelton beats Alcaraz in latest-ever US Open finish to reach semis",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/shelton-beats-alcaraz-in-latest-ever-us-open-finish-to-reach-semis",
        "published": "2026-09-09T09:03:44.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "Shelton ends Alcaraz's title in late-night marathon, will face Tiafoe in US Open",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/shelton-ends-alcarazs-title-in-late-night-marathon-will-face-tiafoe",
        "published": "2026-09-09T10:35:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "IOL",
        "title": "'That was some tennis': Tendulkar hails Shelton-Alcaraz US Open thriller",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/that-was-some-tennis-tendulkar-hails-shelton-alcaraz-us-open-thriller",
        "published": "2026-09-09T12:32:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "SB Nation",
        "title": "Ben Shelton and Carlos Alcaraz made staying up until 3:33 a.m. worth it at the US Open",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/09/ben-shelton-and-carlos-alcaraz-made-staying-up-until-3-33-a-m-worth",
        "published": "2026-09-09T13:48:26.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}