“To be honest — it sounds weird — I actually don’t care!” mentioned Tiafoe, guffawing on ESPN, whereas McEnroe stammered in disbelief. “I’m happy — I want to win for me, I don’t want this whole 19-year thing — and then after, I’ll be like, ‘Yeah! I don’t have to hear that anymore!’
“Rafa and these guys were winning slams, I don’t care what your flag was. But there’s an opening now, and I want to do it. I believe I can do it this year.”
Tiafoe performed with two mighty feelings fueling him Wednesday in what was both the largest or second-biggest match of his profession, relying on how Monday’s win matches into his pantheon. A sense of freedom and self-belief helped energy him to a 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-0), 6-4 win over world No. 11 Andrey Rublev, placing him within the first Grand Slam semifinal of his profession.
“Biggest day of my life,” Tiafoe mentioned of his win over Nadal. “ … You know, that night, I couldn’t really sleep — last night I slept great.”
Whether the 24-year-old desires to hear it or not, he’s additionally the primary American man to attain a U.S. Open semifinal in 16 years. He is the primary Black man to attain a U.S. Open semifinal since Arthur Ashe in 1972.
He advances to face both world No. 4 Carlos Alcaraz or No. 13 Jannik Sinner on Friday as a males’s event broad open for the taking rolls on. None of the 5 gamers left standing right here have a Grand Slam trophy. One of them, seventh-ranked Casper Ruud of Norway, has by no means gained a event rated above the bottom tier on the ATP three-tiered ranking system.
Ruud has an opportunity to be ranked No. 1 on the U.S. Open’s shut.
Why wouldn’t Tiafoe imagine he can take all of it?
The Hyattsville, Md., native appeared gentle and breezy taking part in underneath a closed roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, notably in contrast to Rublev. The Russian was making an attempt to recover from the quarterfinals hump at a Grand Slam — he’s now been to six with out successful.
Yet Rublev, 24, posed a serious risk on paper. He possesses a robust forehand and the flexibility to place it anyplace he wishes at a given second. He has big-match expertise, having logged wins over Roger Federer (in 2019), Nadal (in 2021 on clay) and Novak Djokovic (this yr).
Tiafoe, ranked twenty sixth on this planet, appeared unbothered. Just as he did towards Nadal, he remained calm all through a cracking first set through which rallies have been saved quick and winners have been plentiful. Tiafoe’s serve was sturdy from the beginning, averaging 121.9 mph. He blasted 18 aces.
His serve helped him leap to a 4-2 lead within the tiebreaker, at which level swagger took over from calm a bit and Arthur Ashe Stadium drank it in, beginning a “Let’s go Frances” cheer to punctuate all the opposite screams.
Tiafoe saved his celebrations easy and efficient — a flex of his muscle tissue right here, asking for extra crowd noise there. After notably beautiful pictures, he held his hand cocked aloft as if seasoning a dish — as a result of he had put a bit of one thing further on that one.
“I feel like that’s why you train hard,” he mentioned. “Show the world what you can do. Don’t shy away from it. Go to it.”
Rublev, meantime, drank from a cocktail of rage and distress. As a top-ranked junior — who additionally misplaced to Tiafoe within the quarterfinals of the 2014 boys’ event right here — the Russian turned identified for epic mood tantrums on courtroom.
On Wednesday, he banged his racket towards his leg after trailing 4-0 within the second-set tiebreaker. He swore at his field. And within the third set, he appeared to chunk a tennis ball earlier than burying his face in his towel to cry, purple rings round his eyes turning purplish.
Tiafoe was that irritating. He joked that the 7-0 tiebreak to shut the second set was one of the best he’ll play in his life. But it wasn’t simply the tiebreak, he was pitch excellent for two hours 36 minutes.
He gained 88 % of his first serves, saved all 4 break factors he confronted and, in capturing two extra tiebreakers, prolonged a 6-0 document in tiebreakers at this yr’s U.S. Open.
Tiafoe sealed the match with an ace, letting out a mighty roar after, unencumbered by the previous and anxious solely along with his personal future.
“Everyone loves a Cinderella story,” he mentioned. “Just trying to make one.”
