Ben Shelton faces Frances Tiafoe tonight in a historic all-American US Open semi-final, with a place in Sunday’s final at stake

Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe will meet at the US Open tonight for a place in Sunday’s men’s singles final.

The all-American semi-final follows Shelton’s extraordinary five-set victory over defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, which finished at 3.33 am in New York, the latest finish to a match in US Open history.

Tiafoe also had to come through five sets, recovering from two sets down to beat fellow American Alex Michelsen in his quarter-final.

Their semi-final is scheduled for 7 pm in New York on Friday 11 September, which means a midnight BST start in the UK, in the early hours of Saturday 12 September. The official US Open schedule lists it as the second men’s semi-final of the day.

What time is Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe in the UK?

Shelton vs Tiafoe is scheduled to begin at:

12 am BST on Saturday 12 September

That is 7 pm local time in New York on Friday.

The match will be played on Arthur Ashe Stadium and is the evening semi-final, following Alexander Zverev’s meeting with Karen Khachanov earlier in the day.

As with any tennis match, the actual start could be affected by scheduling changes or delays.

How can you watch Shelton vs Tiafoe in the UK?

UK viewers can watch the US Open live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+.

The tournament is also available through the Sky Sports app, while viewers without a full Sky subscription can stream coverage through NOW.

Sky Sports confirms it has exclusive live UK coverage of the 2026 US Open across Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+. (Sky Sports’ guide to watching the US Open)

Why is Shelton vs Tiafoe historic?

The semi-final represents a significant moment for American tennis.

Shelton and Tiafoe are the first two Black American men to face each other in a Grand Slam semi-final during the Open Era, according to Reuters.

Coco Gauff has described the match as “historic”, saying the representation was something she did not imagine seeing while growing up.

The official US Open site also highlights the significance of the matchup.

There is another major prize at stake.

No American man has won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003. Whoever wins this semi-final will have the chance to end that 23-year drought in Sunday’s final.

How did Ben Shelton reach the US Open semi-final?

Shelton produced one of the biggest wins of his career by knocking out defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set quarter-final.

The American won 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6(7) in a match lasting four hours and 28 minutes. It did not finish until 3.33 am in New York, making it the latest finish in US Open history.

Shelton has experienced plenty of Grand Slam drama before, including a controversial Wimbledon curfew stoppage in 2025, but his victory over Alcaraz has now taken him within two wins of a first major singles title.

The 23-year-old had previously reached the US Open semi-finals in 2023, as well as the last four of the 2025 Australian Open, but has yet to reach a Grand Slam final.

He will now face Frances Tiafoe for a place in Sunday’s final.

Could the late Alcaraz match affect Shelton?

That is one of the biggest questions going into the semi-final.

Shelton did not finish against Alcaraz until 3.33 am on Wednesday morning, meaning recovery became almost as important as preparation for his next match.

The unusually late finish has also reignited debate over the US Open schedule and the effect early-morning matches can have on players.

Reuters reports that several matches at this year’s tournament have ended after 2 am, prompting renewed questions about player welfare and whether the night-session format needs to change.

Shelton has at least had more than two days before returning to Arthur Ashe Stadium, but Tiafoe also endured a demanding five-set quarter-final.

How did Frances Tiafoe reach the semi-final?

Tiafoe produced a comeback of his own against Alex Michelsen.

After losing the opening two sets, he recovered to win:

5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(10-6).

The victory took Tiafoe into his third US Open semi-final.

Tiafoe previously reached the last four in New York in 2022 and again in 2024.

That gives him considerably more experience of the latter stages at Flushing Meadows than most players, although he is still chasing his first Grand Slam final.

What is the Ben Shelton vs Frances Tiafoe head-to-head record?

Shelton leads their overall head-to-head 3-1.

However, there is an important twist.

Tiafoe won their only previous meeting at the US Open, beating Shelton in five sets in the third round in 2024.

The score was:

4-6, 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3

in Tiafoe’s favour.

The US Open’s quarter-final statistics confirm Shelton’s 3-1 overall advantage and Tiafoe’s victory in their previous New York meeting.

So while Shelton has the better overall record, Tiafoe has already shown he can beat him over five sets on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Who will Shelton or Tiafoe play in the US Open final?

The winner will face either Alexander Zverev or Karen Khachanov in Sunday’s men’s singles final.

Zverev and Khachanov play the first semi-final on Friday.

Zverev arrives as the top seed and has reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams this year, while Khachanov advanced after Alexander Blockx retired during their quarter-final.

Whoever emerges from Shelton vs Tiafoe will therefore be one victory away from becoming the first American man to win a major singles title since 2003.

When is the 2026 US Open men’s final?

The men’s singles final is scheduled for Sunday 13 September at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The official tournament schedule lists the final for 2 pm local time in New York, which is 7 pm BST in the UK. (US Open 2026 tournament schedule)

Before then, one of Shelton or Tiafoe will have the opportunity to carry American hopes into the final.

For UK viewers, their semi-final is scheduled for midnight BST tonight, live on Sky Sports Tennis and Sky Sports+.