Draper, Sinner, Fritz and Tiafoe: Who are the US Open semi-finalists?
The US Open semi-finals take place today with Great Britain featured in the men’s last four for the first time since 2012. Jack Draper, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will battle it out out on Friday and one of them will win their first US Open title in New York. But who are [...]
The US Open semi-finals take place today with Great Britain featured in the men’s last four for the first time since 2012.
Jack Draper, Jannik Sinner, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will battle it out out on Friday and one of them will win their first US Open title in New York.
But who are they, what are their chances and how did they reach the last four?
Jack Draper
Jack Draper is the 22-year-old Brit seen as the successor to Andy Murray. He’s won once on the ATP Tour – the Stuttgart Open earlier this year – and is the son of Roger Draper, the former chief executive of the Lawn Tennis Association.
He featured recently in British Vogue with Anna Wintour watching the Brit at this year’s US Open.
Prior to the 2024 tournament at Flushing Meadows Draper had only reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam.
But in New York he is yet to drop a set and is the only player remaining to have not played a tie-break.
Round Opponent Result 1 Zhang Zhizhen 6-3 6-0 4-0 walkover 2 Facundo Díaz Acosta 6-4 6-2 6-2 3 Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3 6-4 6-2 4 Tomas Machac 6-3 6-1 6-2 Quarter-final Alex de Minaur 6-3 7-5 6-2
Draper takes on US Open favourite and No1 seed Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals later today and is seen by the bookies as the underdog.
He will likely be the favourite to win the title should beat Sinner on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Jannik Sinner
Sinner, 23, has been building a reputation in tennis for being consistent and agile. And earlier this year he was rewarded with his first Grand Slam at the Australian Open.
Since then he reached the final four in Paris and this week in New York, where he is looking to win his first US Open title.
A victory at Flushing Meadows, should he get past Draper and reach the final, would be his sixth title of 2024 following on from the likes of the Cincinnati Masters, Miami Masters and his inaugural Grand Slam.
Round Opponent Result 1 Mackenzie McDonald 2-6 6-2 6-1 6-2 2 Alex Michelsen 6-4 6-0 6-2 3 Christopher O’Connell 6-1 6-4 6-2 4 Tommy Paul 7-6 7-6 6-1 Quarter-final Daniil Medvedev 6-2 1-6 6-1 6-4
He is the overwhelming favourite to win the final Grand Slam of the year. The odds are in his favour.
Taylor Fritz
Fritz, from California, is on his best ever run of form at this year’s US Open, having only previously reached the quarter-finals at one of the four major tournaments.
The 26-year-old comes into the US Open off the back of a doubles bronze medal at this year’s Paris 2024 Olympics with his biggest win of his career coming in 2022 when he beat Rafael Nadal at Indian Wells.
Round Opponent Result 1 Camilo Ugo Carabelli 7-5 6-1 6-2 2 Matteo Berrettini 6-3 7-6 6-1 3 Francisco Comesana 6-3 6-4 6-2 4 Casper Ruud 3-6 6-4 6-3 6-2 Quarter-final Alexander Zverev 7-6 3-6 6-4 7-6
Fritz is the favoured player to reach the final out of himself and his semi-final opponent Tiafoe.
It would be his biggest title at Flushing Meadows since he won the junior major in New York in 2015.
Frances Tiafoe
Tiafoe’s most successful Slam is here at the US Open, where he has matched his 2022 run of reaching the final four.
His only previous significant tournament final came in 2024, when he lost the Cincinnati Open to fellow semi-finalist Jannik Sinner.
Of his nine ATP Tour finals, he has won three and lost six. At the 2022 Japan Open he beat his opponent on Friday Taylor Fritz.
Round Opponent Result 1 Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4 6-3 4-6 7-5 2 Alexander Shevchenko 6-4 6-1 1-0 walkover 3 Ben Shelton 4-6 7-5 6-7 6-4 6-3 4 Alexei Popyrin 6-4 7-6 2-6 6-3 Quarter-final Grigor Dimitrov 6-3 6-7 6-3 4-1 walkover
Tiafoe is the rank outsider, even behind Draper, to win the US Open. With such a heavy underdog tag he can throw caution to the wind and try to win on home soil.
