More than 50 Years After Arthur Ashe, Black Men’s Tennis Players Reflect on a Historic US Open Breakthrough
The winner will become the first Black American man in a U.S. Open final since Arthur Ashe in 1972 and could end a 23-year American Slam drought.
- On Friday, September 11, 2026, Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe met in a historic U.S. Open men's semifinal at Arthur Ashe Stadium, guaranteeing a Black American man would reach the championship final for the first time since 1972.
- Both players advanced last Tuesday with marathon five-set quarterfinal victories; Shelton upset defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, while Tiafoe rallied from two sets down to defeat Alex Michelsen.
- This historic clash marked the first all-Black men's semifinal in U.S. Open history, while no American man has captured a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick's 2003 U.S. Open victory.
- Tennis development professionals noted the match's significance for inspiring diverse youth. "It's an exciting time," said MaliVai Washington, emphasizing the match's role in increasing interest in the sport.
- The final awaited the victor, who would play either top-seeded Alexander Zverev or unseeded Karen Khachanov in Sunday's championship match. Whoever advanced carried the hopes of an American crowd eager for a homegrown champion.
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Ticket prices for Shelton-Zverev US Open final down 27%
The chance to witness tennis history has yet to restoke ticket prices for Sunday's men's final at the U.S. Open in New York. Ben Shelton is the first Black American male singles player to reach the championship match since Arthur Ashe in 1972. He will take on No. 1 seed Alexander Zverev at the stadium
American tennis player Ben Shelton said that his goal is to win the title at the US Open for himself, but also for the United States of America.
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As Frances Tiafoe and Ben Shelton take the court for their much-anticipated semifinals match, Lululemon, On and K-Swiss get a big moment too.
More than 50 years after Arthur Ashe, Black men’s tennis players reflect on a historic US Open breakthrough
When Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe step onto Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday, they’ll make a kind of history American men’s tennis hasn’t seen in more than half a century.
This Friday the semifinals of the United States Open will be played.
US Has Chance to End a Long Tennis Drought
No American man has won the US Open since 2003, but that has a real chance to change this weekend. Americans Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will meet in the semifinals on Friday, ensuring a homegrown finalist in Sunday's title match. The semifinal showdown is notedworthy in itsself, reports Yahoo...
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