The 2024 US Open men’s and women’s singles tournaments have delivered unexpected results, with fresh faces making significant strides to reach the semifinals.
In the US Open women’s draw, Jessica Pegula has reached her first Grand Slam final, where she will face Aryna Sabalenka for the title today. Meanwhile, the men’s competition also features an American player making his debut in a major final.
On Friday night, under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, Taylor Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, and Frances Tiafoe, also 26 and hailing from Maryland, faced off in the first U.S. Open semifinal between two American men in 19 years.
The crowd, torn between two close friends who’ve known each other since their days competing in junior tournaments, might have found it hard to pick a favorite.
The match began with an enthusiastic burst of applause, setting the tone for the battle ahead. As the game unfolded, the momentum shifts made it even harder for the crowd to choose sides, with the two friends battling fiercely throughout.
In the end, Fritz secured a dramatic victory, rattling off six consecutive games against a tiring Tiafoe to win 4-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, and advance to his first Grand Slam final.
In the fourth set, Fritz rebounded quickly, holding serve and adjusting his strategy by stepping away from net play and relying on powerful serves and extended rallies. While Fritz began to pull ahead, Tiafoe managed to level the score. However, Fritz eventually broke Tiafoe’s serve, forcing a decisive fifth set.
“This is why I do what I do,” Fritz said emotionally in his post-match interview. “It’s why I work so hard.”
This win, Fritz’s seventh in eight professional encounters with Tiafoe, set up a final showdown with the world’s No. 1, Jannik Sinner, on Sunday.
Earlier on Friday, Sinner secured his place in the final by defeating No. 25 seed Jack Draper in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6 (3), 6-2, although the scoreline doesn’t fully reflect the challenge. Played under the scorching New York heat, the match tested both players’ endurance, with Draper struggling the most. He sweat through two shirts and appeared to vomit twice during a grueling second set that lasted an hour and 29 minutes, the second-longest set of the entire tournament.
Both players had already endured tough quarterfinal matches the previous day, adding to the physical toll. Despite a minor wrist injury sustained in the second set, Sinner showed why he is the tournament’s top seed. His serve was outstanding, winning 76% of points, and he dazzled with some spectacular plays against the 22-year-old Draper.
Sinner now heads to his first US Open final, having already claimed his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open earlier this year. He enters Sunday’s match as the favorite against Fritz, who is the first American to reach the US Open final since 2006 and the first to advance to any Grand Slam final since 2009.
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