Ben Shelton, history was going to be made: For the first time, two Black men faced off in the match.
Shelton came out on top in the milestone match, upsetting world No. 10 Tiafoe 6-2 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2 and booking a semifinal clash with 23-time grand slam winner Novak Djokovic.
It also was the first time since 2008 that two Black men played each other at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It’s been nearly two decades since an American male has won tennis’ US Open. And while much of the focus has been on whether 2023 will be the year that drought finally ends, tennis fans are taking a moment to savor this historic match up.
“This is something special, a cosmic event,” Art Carrington, a former professional tennis player who now coaches the sport, told CNN before the match.
Ashe Stadium on Tuesday evening and ended after midnight on Wednesday, was the first major quarterfinal between two African-American men in the Open era, which dates to 1968.
"It's great with two people of color going at it. Obviously, a historic moment," Tiafoe said. "But ultimately, once you get out there, you just want to win."
US Open quarterfinal since 2005 between two men from the host country, which hasn't claimed a Slam trophy in men's singles since Andy Roddick won at Flushing Meadows two years prior to that.
Shelton energised the crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium with frequent lung-busting roars to his box, while Tiafoe, known as one of the game’s most entertaining showmen, cut a more reserved figure throughout, perhaps reflecting the pressure of being the favourite against his younger countryman and defending the semi-final points he earned last year.
Despite being broken four times, Shelton came up clutch when it mattered most in the fourth set, dropping just four points on his serve. For the match he clipped 50 winners to Tiafoe’s 33.
Shelton fired 14 aces and took big cuts on his forehand from both deep behind the baseline and when he stepped into the court, hitting a string of winners both down the line and cross court.
Shelton is following in the footsteps of his father, Bryan, a tennis champion who won two professional titles and played on the Association of Tennis Professionals Tour.
Earlier this year, Shelton’s father resigned from coaching at the University of Florida to coach his son in professional tennis.
Carrington said for young Black Americans, getting exposure to tennis is essential for the sport. It’s up to the older generations, he said, to pass down their love for the game.
But ahead of Tuesday’s match, Carrington said if he were coaching Tiafoe and Shelton, he would tell them not to focus on the weight of this historic moment
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