US Open 2026: Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe Preview, Prediction, and Live Stream Details

Ben Shelton will face Frances Tiafoe in an all-American semifinal at the US Open. In the quarterfinals, Tiafoe clinched a thrilling five-set win over compatriot Alex Michelsen after being down two sets to love.

Shelton, on the other hand, sent shockwaves when he upset seven-time Grand Slam champion Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set battle that ended at 3:30 am. On Sunday, an American man will reach the final. And this means that for the second time since Andy Roddick‘s win here at Flushing Meadows in 2003, an American man will reach a Grand Slam final, following Taylor Fritz (who lost the 2024 US Open final to Jannik Sinner).

Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe: Match Details

• Tournament: US Open 2026
• Match: Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe
• Time: 7:00 pm
• Round: Semifinal
• Surface: Outdoor hard court
• Date: September 11, 2026
• Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center

Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe: Match Preview

Ben Shelton has dealt with ups and downs this season. Although he suffered early exits in a few high-profile tournaments, he also took home four titles.

After defeating Taylor Fritz at the Dallas Open final, Shelton went past French Open runner-up Flavio Cobolli in the final of the Munich Open. He then upset Fritz in the Stuttgart Open final before beating compatriot Brandon Nakashima in the Canadian Open final, also defending his title.

In Cincinnati, however, the 23-year-old lost to Jaime Faria in the opening round. Before reaching the semifinals, Shelton eliminated Tallon Griekspoor, Hubert Hurkacz, Denis Shapovalov, Stefanos Tsitsipas, and Carlos Alcaraz.

Tiafoe has reached three finals so far this season. He first lost the Mexican Open final to Flavio Cobolli, then ended his title drought at the Halle Open by upsetting Fritz. Before arriving in New York, Tiafoe reached the final of the Cincinnati Masters, but he lost the match to Arthur Fils.

While Shelton has won two Big Titles so far (2025 and 2026 Canadian Open), Tiafoe has not yet lifted titles at this level, though he reached the finals of the Cincinnati Masters in 2024 (lost to Sinner) and again this year.

Because every former champion has crashed out, a player who has never won a title here will emerge victorious on Sunday. Sinner withdrew due to a knee injury, and Novak Djokovic lost in the first round.

Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe: Match Prediction

In the first three Majors this season, Shelton lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, second round of the French Open, and the first round of Wimbledon. Tiafoe made the third round in Melbourne, lost in the fourth round at Roland Garros, before losing in the third round of Wimbledon.

Both Tiafoe and Shelton are now three-time Grand Slam semifinalists. In 2023, Shelton reached the semifinals here, losing to eventual champion Djokovic. He then reached the last four of the 2025 Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Jannik Sinner.

Tiafoe reached both semifinals (prior to this US time) in his home Slam back in 2022 and 2024, losing to eventual champion Alcaraz and eventual runner-up Fritz, respectively.

Shelton holds a 3-1 head-to-head lead over Tiafoe, last playing him in the quarterfinals of last year’s Citi Open. They will face off for the third time at the US Open. The lone win that Tiafoe clinched was in the third round of the 2024 US Open.

Match prediction: Ben Shelton to win in five sets.

Ben Shelton vs. Frances Tiafoe Live Stream Details

• India – JioHotstar
• USA – ESPN
• UK – Sky Sports
• Canada – TSN, RDS
• Australia – Channel 9, Stan Sport
• New Zealand– ESPN
• France – Eurosport

Also read: Alexandra Eala Given Breakout Star Label Despite Third-Round US Open Exit Sparks Wild Reactions – “Did She Win Anything at All?”