Key Takeaways
- Frances Tiafoe lost to Ben Shelton in U.S. Open semi-finals.
- Tiafoe will return to world top 10 rankings.
- Tiafoe aims to be a Grand Slam champion.
Frances Tiafoe, the 11th seed, fell to eighth seed Ben Shelton in the U.S. Open semi-finals, losing 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 on Friday. Despite the loss, Tiafoe expressed pride in his season, which will see him return to the world top 10 rankings.
Tiafoe, appearing in his third U.S. Open semi-final, acknowledged the difficulty of the loss but remained focused on his ultimate goal: winning a major title. 'I want to do the thing, man. I want to be a Grand Slam champion one day,' he said.
The 28-year-old American was emotional about the support he received in New York, which made his deep run particularly meaningful. 'The love is incredible. It’s something that gives me definitely tears in my eyes from a kid starting how I did, and the love I have here is crazy,' he added.
Tiafoe’s performance at the U.S. Open will ensure he climbs to a new career-high ranking of world number eight, returning him to the top 10 for the first time since 2023. His next challenge, he said, will be learning to close out matches.
Looking ahead, Tiafoe will focus on the final stretch of the season, aiming for a place at the ATP Finals in Turin, the season-ending event for the highest-ranked players. 'I’m going to probably feel sorry for myself the next couple of days, but after that, I can start working again and get to Turin,' he said.
Tiafoe’s loss in the semi-finals did not dampen his spirits. 'It’s been a great season for me, but also, you know, this one is tough,' he told reporters. 'We wanted to win this one. You know, it’s just the last couple of weeks, it’s been great weeks, but haven’t been able to finish, and that’s probably going to be the next thing for me.'
I want to do the thing, man. I want to be a Grand Slam champion one day and just get back to the drawing board and keep working.
Frances Tiafoe, Professional tennis player
The love is incredible. It’s something that gives me definitely tears in my eyes from a kid starting how I did, and the love I have here is crazy.
Frances Tiafoe, Professional tennis player
