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The U.S. Open men’s singles semifinals feature the top three seeds for the first time since 2011, and all are former champions.
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz meets No. 3 Daniil Medvedev in a matchup of the last two champions in Flushing Meadows. Novak Djokovic, the No. 2 seed and holder of a men’s-record 23 Grand Slam singles titles, takes on unseeded Ben Shelton, a 20-year-old American.
Djokovic, trying to tie another record by reaching his 10th U.S. Open final, has never lost to a player from the host country in Flushing Meadows. Alcaraz, the defending champion, is 24-1 in his last four Grand Slam tournaments as he tries to become the first repeat U.S. Open men’s champion since Roger Federer won five in a row from 2004-08.
The men’s doubles final and women’s doubles semifinals are also scheduled.
How to watch on TV
— In the U.S.: ESPN
— Other countries are listed here.
The schedule
THE SINGLES SCHEDULE
— Friday: Men’s semifinals
— Saturday: Women’s final
— Sunday: Men’s final
WHEN ARE FRIDAY’S MATCHES?
Play in Arthur Ashe Stadium begins at noon with the men’s doubles final. Djokovic and Shelton will play after that, with their match scheduled to start no earlier than 3 p.m. Alcaraz and Medvedev play the night match at 7 p.m. The women’s doubles semifinals will also be played on Louis Armstrong Stadium, with the first match to begin at noon.
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SEMIFINALS THURSDAY?
Coco Gauff reached her first U.S. Open final by defeating Karolina Muchova 6-4, 7-5 in a match interrupted for 50 minutes by environmental activists — including one who glued his bare feet to the concrete in the Arthur Ashe Stadium stands. The 19-year-old from Florida is the first American teenager to make it to the title match in New York since Serena Williams in 2001. She will face Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka, who edged No. 17 Madison Keys 0-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (10-5).
Betting guide
A bet on Shelton would be a nice payout if he were to win the U.S. Open. He’s listed at plus-4,200 at FanDuel Sportsbook to do that, the fourth choice by far. Djokovic, who has been the favorite all along, is still there at minus-125, with Alcaraz at plus-115 and Medvedev at plus-1,100. In their matches, Djokovic is a minus-1,700 favorite to Shelton’s plus-890, with Alcaraz (minus-400) a much narrower favorite against Medvedev (plus-310).
Get caught up
What to read about the U.S. Open:
— The mental and physical tolls of the tennis season weigh on players by the US Open
— Unruly fans singing Nazi songs and interrupting play with shouts cause problems at US Open
— Tennis ball wasteland? Game grapples with a fuzzy yellow recycling problem
— With the Obamas and Biebers, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Judge, the US Open stars aren’t just on court
— Grand Slam tournaments are getting hotter. US Open players and fans may feel that this week
— US Open players differ on how to approach the stress of a match point. Swing away or stay safe?
— The US Open now lets coaches talk to players. The players are yelling back
— The US Open is the noisiest Grand Slam tournament thanks to planes, trains, music and, yes, fans
Tennis quiz
Try your hand at the AP’s U.S. Open quiz.
Stats to know
100 — Number of U.S. Open singles matches Djokovic will have played after Friday. He enters with an 86-13 record.
17 — Consecutive victories at the U.S. Open for Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury, who look for their third straight men’s doubles title Friday.WORDS TO KNOW
“I’ll be there. I’ll be fighting for every point.” — Sabalenka, on her mindset facing another American in the women’s final.
Top: Coco Gauff, of the United States, returns a shot to Karolina Muchova, of the Czech Republic, during the women’s singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
