Three American men reach US Open quarterfinals; strongest contingent since 1995

Three American men have advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2026 US Open, per ESPN, marking the strongest American male presence at a major since five players reached the round of 16 in 1995. The trio consists of Frances Tiafoe, Alex Michelsen, and Ben Shelton, each of whom won on September 6 to clinch quarterfinal spots. Tiafoe, seeded No. 11, defeated No. 7 seed Daniil Medvedev 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6), according to ESPN. The victory puts Tiafoe within one match of his third US Open semifinal. Michelsen, a 22-year-old from California competing in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, defeated No. 27 Tomas Etcheverry 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4 and remains the only man in the tournament who has not dropped a set, per ESPN. Tiafoe and Michelsen will meet in the quarterfinals. Ben Shelton, 23, defeated Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday in 1 hour and 51 minutes, per ESPN. Shelton lost only 14 points on serve in the match against the resurgent two-time major finalist. Shelton will face defending champion Carlos Alcaraz in the quarterfinals. Alcaraz, returning from a wrist injury that sidelined him since April, defeated Tommy Paul 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday. Alcaraz has not played a best-of-five-set match since winning the Australian Open in January. This mark is the first time since 1995 that American men have reached this stage of a major together. In the 1995 US Open, per ESPN, the Americans had eight players in the round of 16, advancing three to the semifinals. Pete Sampras beat Jim Courier in the semis, then defeated No. 1 Andre Agassi in the final. The US has not produced a men's Grand Slam champion since Andy Roddick won the US Open in 2003, a drought now spanning 23 years. Shelton has never beaten Alcaraz in six career meetings. According to ESPN, Alcaraz owns a 30-1 record in major matches dating back to last year's French Open, with his sole loss coming to Jannik Sinner in the 2025 Wimbledon final. In their most recent encounter at the 2025 French Open fourth round, Shelton held three set points in the first-set tiebreak but Alcaraz prevailed 7-6 (8), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Shelton later reported feeling closer to Alcaraz in that match than in any prior meeting. Shelton won his career-biggest title in August at the Canadian Open, defeating Brandon Nakashima in the final. The victory came after a turbulent season that included shoulder surgery and rehabilitation following a retirement at the 2025 US Open, per ESPN. At the Australian Open earlier this year, Shelton reached the semifinals.