Tiafoe and David Witt at Flushing Meadows: The Last Slam Winner for a U.S. Tennis Player and American Jessica Pegula

He took control from 4-all in the fourth set. Tiafoe’s mind and legs betrayed him, as he cramped up, at least in part, because of what he said were nerves related to thinking the finish line was near and he was headed to play for the title.

“He was very much in charge from the baseline and I knew I had to fight to stay in it and win the fourth set,” he said. If I didn’t give it everything I had, then I would be regretting it for a long time.

Andy Roddick’s triumph at Flushing Meadows in 2003 was the last Slam title for a man from the United States. The last before Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, to even contest a final at one of the four biggest tournaments in tennis also was Roddick, who lost to Roger Federer at Wimbledon in 2009.

The players have opposite personality and the respective guest boxes reflect it. While walking to the sideline, the gung-ho tennis player would shake a raised fist or nod his head, and he would also have his coach David Witt, as well as an American named Jessica Pegula, with him.

He got his left wrist massaged after falling during a point he managed to win; Draper needed medical attention after vomiting twice in a game with the temperature in the high 70s and the humidity above 60%. During that break in the action, a vacuum was used to clear the ground behind the baseline and finish the cleaning job Draper, a 22-year-old from Britain, tried to do himself by wiping his, um, mess with a towel.

The first U.S. Open semifinal with two American men: Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz, and Frances Tiafoe

“So many big wins for me this season,” said Sinner, who took full advantage of Week 1 exits by Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. “But the work never stops.”

The No. 12-seeded Fritz’s seventh victory in eight professional meetings against No. 20 Tiafoe earned a showdown against No. 1 Jannik Sinner for the championship on Sunday.

There was a curtain-raiser preceding the initial point, and there was a burst of clapping. It was difficult to choose between two friends who have known one another since they were playing tournaments for younger children.

NEW YORK — When Taylor Fritz, a 26-year-old from California, and Frances Tiafoe, a 26-year-old from Maryland, strode under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights Friday night for the first U.S. Open semifinal matching two American men in 19 years, the crowd might have been forgiven for not knowing which to support.

NEW YORK — Jannik Sinner started slowly at the U.S. Open, dropping the first set he played after being exonerated in a doping case no one knew about until shortly before play began at Flushing Meadows.

He won the second Grand Slam trophy of his nascent career — the other was at the Australian Open in January — and prevented No. 12 Fritz from ending a major title drought for American men that has lasted 21 years.

Being an American at the U.S. Open is amazing. It’s good to be the love all week. During the trophy ceremony, Fritz thanked you so much. “I know we’ve been waiting for a champion for a long time, so I’m sorry I couldn’t get it done this time. But I’m going to keep working and, hopefully, I’ll get it at the next one.”

The U.S. tennis team reached the semifinals for the first time in almost a decade at this tournament, with two women and two men from the country making it that far. On Saturday, Jessica went down to Aryna at the women’s final.

Sinner improved to 55-5 with a tour-high six titles in 2024. That includes a 35-2 mark on hard courts, the surface used at both the Australian Open and U.S. Open. He’s the first man since Guillermo Vilas in 1977 to win his first two Grand Slam trophies in the same season.

The world found out that Sinner had tested positive for a banned steroid twice in eight days but was cleared because of the massage he received, where the banned steroid was accidentally entered his system.

While some players wondered whether he was accorded special treatment, most believed he wasn’t trying to dope. And the U.S. Open’s fans never gave him a hard time.

BRST JerkjR’en Fritz on the court: He grew up in a city with a big mentality

“We just went day by day … believing in ourself, which is the most important,” said Sinner, who mentioned that an aunt of his is in poor health. “I understand, especially in this tournament, how important the mental part is.”

As expected, Fritz enjoyed something of a home-court advantage on a cool afternoon under a nearly cloudless sky. In a celebrity-filled crowd that included Taylor Swift and her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, some spectators occasionally engaged in chants of “U-S-A!” between games or rose whenever Fritz picked up what felt like a crucial point.

He asserts himself during the matches in a rather casual way. His style is less spectacular than solid, less magical than metronomic. Either way, it was masterful, using his long limbs and squeaking, sliding sneakers to get to everything before aiming high-speed shot after shot right near lines — and usually succeeding.

Neither player seemed all that interested in venturing forward Sunday unless forced to, instead content to ply their forehands and backhands from the back of the court.

He put 36% of his first serves in, had only 2 ace in the initial game of the second set, and ended up with 12 unforced errors and five winners.