US Open
Men’s US Open semi-final preview
The 2024 US Open has reached the semi-final stage, and with Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic eliminated, the final four are all in with a chance of winning the last Grand Slam of the season.
Taylor Fritz faces Frances Tiafoe in an all-American showdown, while the second semi-final sees top seed Jannik Sinner take on Britain’s number one, Jack Draper, promising an intense contest.
Taylor Fritz (12) vs Frances Tiafoe (20)
In the first of the men’s singles semi-finals, 12th seed Taylor Fritz faces 20th seed Frances Tiafoe in what will be the first all-American men’s semi-final at a Grand Slam tournament since the 2005 US Open.
Taylor Fritz has enjoyed a successful year so far, winning both the Eastbourne and Delray Beach titles in 2024. The American has been in emphatic form at this year’s US Open, defeating two in-form players ranked above him in the ATP rankings: Alexander Zverev (4) and Casper Ruud (8), both of whom he overcame en route.
Tiafoe has also delivered strong performances in the tournament, demonstrating he’s playing some of his best tennis. One eye-catching moment in his journey to the semi-finals came when he avenged his disappointing result in last year’s quarter-finals at the 2023 US Open, where he lost to compatriot Ben Shelton. This year, Tiafoe emerged victorious in a close-fought battle, going the full five sets.
Tiafoe faces a tough challenge based on the pair’s previous head-to-head results. Having played seven times on the professional circuit, Tiafoe has only won one of their encounters, making him the 19/10 underdog to reach the final. This victory came in their first meeting, and since then, Taylor Fritz has dominated, winning six consecutive matches. He is the 2/5 favourite to make the final here.
Jannik Sinner (1) vs Jack Draper (25)
The second semi-final sees Britain’s number one, Jack Draper, take on world number one Jannik Sinner. Sinner has been in scintillating form in 2024 and, by reaching this semi-final, he has become one of four active players to have reached the semi-finals at all four Grand Slams.
Much like Tiafoe avenging his loss to Shelton, Sinner will aim to avenge his previous defeat to Draper. Draper won their only previous Lexus ATP Head2Head meeting, which was also his first tour-level match win, in 2021 at the ATP 500 at The Queen’s Club. At that time, Sinner was ranked World No. 23, while Draper was No. 309.
Jack Draper has been superb this year, claiming his first ATP title at the Stuttgart Open in June, surpassing Cameron Norrie to become Britain’s new number one. His performances at the US Open have reached another level: Draper is the only men’s singles semi-finalist who hasn’t dropped a set so far, making him the first man to achieve this since Daniil Medvedev in 2020. His serve has been a crucial asset throughout the tournament, and he is quickly gaining recognition as one of the most formidable servers on the Tour.
However, the number one seed Jannik Sinner is the heavy favourite to win at 1/6, and the Briton will need to be at his absolute best to win, with his odds priced at 4/1.
