Can Tiafoe carry his epic quarterfinal win with him all the way to a US Open title?

NEW YORK -- Frances Tiafoe was all but out of the 2026 US Open. After losing the first two sets to fellow American Alex Michelsen in front of a packed, but suddenly mostly silent, crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Tiafoe was now just one game away from having his latest run at his favorite Slam end in the quarterfinals. With Michelsen serving to clinch his place in the semifinals, and with virtually everything having gone his way throughout the afternoon, it looked to be a disappointing result for Tiafoe after such a promising tournament. But some two hours later, it was Tiafoe, not Michelson, who was celebrating in front of the now-jovial and raucous crowd as he completed the unlikeliest and gutsiest of comebacks for the 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (6) victory to advance to the semifinals at the US Open for the third time in his career. Tiafoe became just the second man to win a major quarterfinal in a deciding-set tiebreak after trailing by two sets, following Andre Agassi at the US Open in 2005. After embracing the 22-year-old Michelson, who had been playing in his first major quarterfinal, for an extended hug, Tiafoe threw his arms above his head in celebration and thumped his chest. The crowd -- with seemingly everyone on their feet after the four hour and 39 minute contest -- roared. Tiafoe, 28, is now just one match away from reaching the first Slam final of his career at the place that means the most to him. And although he is excited to be back in the semifinals, this time it's not enough. "I'm pumped about it," Tiafoe said Tuesday. "I'm super excited about it, but I don't feel like it's, of course, I mean, this is a crazy match, so of course I'm extremely pumped up, but ... I just want to continue. I just want to keep going. "I have higher hopes for myself. So yeah, it's great [but] the tournament is still going. There's a lot more tennis to be played, a lot more sets to be played, and a lot more physical things to be done. We're going to enjoy this, but we got to keep going." Tiafoe has never hidden his aspirations at the US Open. Hoisting the trophy is something he has dreamed about since he started playing the sport, and he has spoken about the goal unabashedly for years. "It's the same goal as last year, and every year, I just want to win it," he told ESPN in 2025. It has also been the site of many of his career milestones and biggest victories. There was the upset over Rafael Nadal, who was trying to win his third Slam title of the year, in the fourth round in 2022 on Ashe -- a moment Tiafoe says he can never top. He reached the first major semifinals of his career just days later. Two years later, he was back on Ashe in another five-setter against Taylor Fritz with a spot in the final on the line. Despite arriving with momentum after his runner-up finish in Cincinnati, his 2026 campaign in New York got off to a rough start against Martin Damm Jr., the current world No. 90. Tiafoe found himself in a 2-1 deficit before fighting back. But since then, he had largely been in control and hadn't dropped another set until Tuesday. In the fourth round, he earned his first victory in seven tour-level meetings against 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev, 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6). "Hell of a match," Tiafoe said after beating Medvedev. "Really good match. "I came up with some crazy stuff, but it had to be that good against such a quality player in Daniil." And Tiafoe has become a fan favorite, with "1-2-3, Foe!" chants heard throughout, and frequent, "Let's go, Big Foe, let's go!" cheers, during his 2026 run. Prior to Tuesday, he had played every match on Louis Armstrong Stadium -- a court he continued to request due to its "insane" atmosphere and lack of suites. The quarterfinals marked his return to Ashe. He had last played there during the first round in 2025 before ultimately bowing out in the third round. Was it the change in venue that resulted in the slow start? Kind of, according to Tiafoe. After the electric energy in Armstrong for his first four matches, the crowd on Ashe was flat at the start of Tuesday's clash. Many fans had left, albeit temporarily, after Aryna Sabalenka's victory over Linda Noskova in a deciding-set tiebreak earlier in the afternoon, and there were sections of empty seats initially visible. "Everyone was sleeping the first couple of hours," Tiafoe said on court after the match. "I was like, 'What's going on?' I was asleep with y'all." (He later clarified that he was joking and said that he was "even more flat than the fans" at the start.) Michelsen, who hadn't lost a set during the tournament, capitalized on the environment and his opponent's sluggish start. He cruised into the third set. But while trying to serve out the victory, nerves got the best of him. He had two consecutive double faults in the game and Tiafoe pounced on his sudden vulnerability. Tiafoe got the break to stay alive -- and then won the next two games to force a fourth set. He then jumped out to a 3-0 lead. "I feel like I just handed it to him," Michelsen said of his third-set collapse. "Then after that he started playing really good." There suddenly wasn't an empty seat to be seen, nor anyone who appeared to be nodding off. "As it went along, the energy was incredible, as it is always," Tiafoe said. "Thank you. Obviously, two Americans, but you guys are really for me, and I really appreciate that." The deciding set was a much more even affair, as momentum continued to shift with both men well aware of the stakes. But Tiafoe, the more experienced of the two, found the extra gear when it mattered most. Down and almost out, Tiafoe recovered and refused to let his dream slip away. Not on this day anyway. When he realized he had won, Tiafoe went to celebrate before seemingly realizing the heartbreak being experienced on the other side of the net. He immediately ran to Michelson to console him. "I was like, 'Man, I know, I've been there,'" Tiafoe said during an interview on ESPN. "I know how much that hurts." Tiafoe lost in his only previous fifth-set tiebreak, a first-round defeat as a teenager in 2016 to John Isner. Tiafoe too had once had a two-set lead. He was also eliminated from the French Open and Wimbledon this year in deciding-set heartbreaks. Michelsen was grateful for his words. "He was saying a lot of nice personal things," Michelsen told reporters. "[He said] 'You'll be there. When I'm older, you're going to be here, and we're going to play again in this type of circumstance.' All that good stuff. "He's a great guy for consoling me in that moment." Though Tiafoe found a way Tuesday, he will not be able to afford such a slow start Friday. Facing the winner of Tuesday night's clash between Carlos Alcaraz, the defending champion, and American Ben Shelton, who won the 1000-level title in Montreal last month, Tiafoe will have a Herculean task to reach the final. Alcaraz halted Tiafoe's run in 2022 in the semifinals on the path to his first Slam final, and he has a 2-1 career record over the American. But they haven't played since 2024, and although Alcaraz is the favorite to win it all despite just returning from a prolonged absence due to a wrist injury, Tiafoe said he would welcome any challenge. "At this point, it's not meant to be easy against any guy, semifinals of a major," Tiafoe said. "You're supposed to play some of the best players in the world. Obviously, Carlos has been looking great. He's a tough task for anyone. We're all pretty shocked how he's been playing. "[He has an] all-court game, superfast, and kind of suffocates you with his movement and also his power from the ground." Shelton wouldn't be much easier. Tiafoe has won just once in four tries against Shelton -- but it was during their most recent US Open meeting in 2024. Shelton won their previous US Open match in 2023 in the quarterfinals. "We'll see what Ben does tonight," Tiafoe said. "Obviously, Ben is also a different task. Lefty, going for broke, and has the all-court game." Friday's match will be played again on Ashe. Armstrong has been special to Tiafoe this year, but it is Ashe that holds all of his hopes and dreams. Tiafoe believes the court, and the adoring crowd, unlocks a different level within him. "I know on that court, I'm dangerous. I can lose to a lot of guys week in, week out [during the season], but playing on Ashe, I can beat anybody in the world. I truly believe that," he said in 2025.