Tiafoe outlasts Michelsen in five-set thriller to reach US Open semifinals

The world No. 11 Frances Tiafoe has crushed Alex Michelsen in a five-set thriller to secure a spot in the US Open semifinals.

Tiafoe kept hitting hard until he secured a spot in the U.S. Open semis for the third time on Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

Tiafoe beat Michelsen in a five-set match that ended on 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, and 7-6 (10-6).

Tiafoe, after losing the first two sets and then trailing 3-0 in the fifth, posted a thumping win in a thrilling game that lasted for 4 hours and 38 minutes.

After the win, he ran over the other side of the net, where Michelsen broke into tears on his shoulders after a crushing loss in his maiden major quarterfinal.

“I really like Alex. I really, really do, and I just wanted to come up there and just dap him up,” Tiafoe said in an on-court interview.

“I didn’t think it was going to be as long as it was, but I understand the moment. He was definitely crying on my shoulders. Yeah, we just had some words for each other, and that was it,” Tiafoe said, adding context to the viral hug he shared post-game with Michelsen.

While Michelsen, 22, also explained his shoulder-to-shoulder moment with Tiafoe that led to tears.

“I was trying to keep it together and I didn’t do a good job of that,” Michelsen said.

“He was saying a lot of nice personal things. ‘You’ll be there. When I’m older, you’re going to be here, and we’re going to play it again in this type of circumstance.’ All that good stuff. He’s a great guy for consoling me in that moment,” Michelsen added.

The No. 11-seeded Tiafoe, who secured a spot in the U.S. Open semis has been in the final four twice before—first in 2022 and then in 2024.