Carlos Alcaraz defeats Frances Tiafoe at the US Open semifinals in a battle of tennis’ rising stars
The crowd erupts in celebration as Federer beats the world’s No. 1, and Rafael Nadal wins the most prestigious tournament in men’s tennis
Carlos Alcaraz won the US Open on Sunday and took a massive leap forward in his career.
But he didn’t win the tournament he wanted or the tournament he needed.
He won it on his eighth attempt but ended up losing in the semis to 19-year-old American teenager Frances Tiafoe, who is ranked No. 47 in the world.
A year before the US Open, in the semi-final round, Alcaraz was ranked No. 6 in the world and set himself up to meet the eventual champion at the tournament.
And here he was, facing the number one player on the planet.
If it was a surprise to see him there, it would more than likely be on the level of how Federer came to see him there.
Alcaraz was seeded sixth at the US Open, a spot where you have to be playing to be selected, so he was expecting an opponent at the top of the draw.
The No. 6 seed is almost always given to an American, and this is the only time it has ever happened.
The US Open is the oldest Grand Slam tournament in the world. It was first played in 1881, and that year four Americans made the final: Harold Holt, Tommy Armour, William Haddock and Walter de Laub.
Holt had reached the semi-finals in 1882 and was seeded No 1.
Armour won the first two majors and was seeded No 11.
De Laub made it to the semi-finals of the US Open in 1896 and was seeded No 15.
The event’s most famous American, and one of the best ever, was the Englishman William Renshaw, who reached the final four times.
He was seeded No 2