Gauff Highlights Historic Black American Semifinal at US Open
American tennis player Coco Gauff highlighted the success of Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe at the US Open in New York, United States. They will play each other in the men's singles semifinals — the first meeting between two Black Americans at this stage of a Grand Slam tournament in the Open Era.
As Channel NewsAsia reports, eighth seed Shelton and 11th seed Tiafoe will play their semifinal match on Friday. Gauff said she did not expect to see a men's Grand Slam semifinal featuring two Black tennis players from the United States during her lifetime.
Gauff in the women's tournament
The 22-year-old Gauff also reached the women's singles semifinals. In the quarterfinals, she lost the first set to Russian player Mirra Andreeva, but secured victory after saving two match points.
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Gauff's next opponent will be second seed Elena Rybakina. The American, who won the US Open in 2023, expressed respect for Shelton and Tiafoe and wished the winner of their match to win the tournament.
Shelton and Tiafoe's achievements
Shelton and Tiafoe have already played each other on Arthur Ashe Stadium court — in the quarterfinals of the 2023 US Open. At that time, they became the first Black Americans in 15 years to meet at this stadium.
Tiafoe reached the semifinals of the New York tournament in 2024, while Shelton won two Masters 1000 titles, including in Montreal last month. Gauff also noted that she was inspired by Tiafoe's comeback victory over Alex Michelsen while playing against Andreeva.
