For a Grand Slam campaign that has been dominated by familiar names for so many years, there is an air of unpredictability about the 2022 US Open semifinals. This tournament began 12 days ago with 128 players and six former champions in the draw. It is now down to a lonely quartet, all seeking a first US Open final, all playing in their first semifinal in Flushing Meadows—and all seeking to break new ground.
Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz can both become No. 1 in the world with a men’s singles title, with Ruud seeking his first title above the ATP 250 level and Alcaraz competing in his first Slam semi. The same is true of Karen Khachanov and home-country favorite Frances Tiafoe, also Final Four major debutantes.
All have proved their mettle so far, with another opportunity to do so on Friday.
Let’s take a closer look at the four men remaining, one of whom will be a first-time Grand Slam champion in two days’ time.
Carlos Alcaraz
Seed/Rank: 3/4
Next Opponent: No. 22 Frances Tiafoe
Best US Open Result: SF (2022)
Best Previous US Open Result: QF (2021)
Best Grand Slam Result: SF (2022 US Open)
Best Previous Grand Slam Result: QF (2021 US Open, 2022 French Open)
Sets Played/Sets Lost: 19/4
Time Spent on Court: 16:01
Outlook: For Alcaraz, the big question is how much he has left in the tank after two grueling five-setters and two of the latest finishes in US Open history in his last two matches, including a Round-of-16 victory over Marin Cilic in which he rebounded from down an early break in the fifth set and a five-hour, 15-minute quarterfinal epic against Jannik Sinner that wrapped at 2:50 am. The good news for the young Spaniard is that he cruised through his initial three rounds. Still, that type of Herculean effort in back-to-back matches tends to take a toll as a Slam wears on, and this is Alcaraz’s first trip to the semifinals at a major. The other factor is pressure: A victory over Tiafoe could make the 19-year-old the youngest-ever world No. 1 (should Ruud lose his semifinal match), and a title in Flushing Meadows most assuredly will.
Casper Ruud
Seed/Rank: 5/7
Next Opponent: No. 27 Karen Khachanov
Best US Open Result: SF (2022)
Previous Best US Open Result: 3R (2020)
Best Grand Slam Result: F (2022 French Open)
Sets Played/Sets Lost: 19/4
Time Spent on Court: 15:27
Outlook: Ruud seems to be getting stronger as this year’s tournament progresses, which is an enviable place to be at this late stage. The 23-year-old from Norway followed a grueling five-set win against Tommy Paul in the third round with a four-setter over Corentin Moutet in the fourth round, then backed that up with an impressive straight-sets victory versus No. 13 seed Matteo Berrettini in the quarters. And with that, Ruud is into his second career Grand Slam semifinal, following his run to the French Open final earlier this year. Even better, he has now had two days to rest ahead of his semifinal against Khachanov. On the line in that one? A first US Open title match and potentially the world No. 1 ranking.
Frances Tiafoe
Seed/Rank: 22/26
Next Opponent: No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz
Best US Open Result: SF (2022)
Previous Best US Open Result: R16 (2020, ’21)
Best Grand Slam Result: SF (2022 US Open)
Previous Best Grand Slam Result: QF (2019 Australian Open)
Sets Played/Sets Lost: 16/1
Time Spent on Court: 14:34
Outlook: Tiafoe’s triumph over 22-time Slam champ Rafael Nadal in the fourth round was his spotlight moment, but the D.C.-area native has been knocking on the door for the last few years: 2022 marks his third consecutive year in the US Open Round of 16, and he previously reached the quarterfinals at the 2019 Australian Open. Tiafoe plays an incredibly physical brand of ball, using his exceptional speed and shot-making to win points and dazzle crowds. That kind of effort can take a toll as the toughest two weeks in tennis heads into Day 12, but the good news for the 24-year-old is that he arrives at this stage relatively fresh. He ousted No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev in straight sets in the quarters, and he has dropped fewer sets—courtesy of a 6-0 record in tiebreaks this tournament—and spent less time on court than any of his fellow semifinalists.
Karen Khachanov
Seed/Rank: 27/31
Next Opponent: No. 5 Casper Ruud
Best US Open Result: SF (2022)
Previous Best US Open Result: 3R (2018, ’20)
Best Grand Slam Result: SF (2022 US Open)
Previous Best Grand Slam Result: QF (2019 French Open, 2020 Wimbledon)
Sets Played/Sets Lost: 21/7
Time Spent on Court: 14:40
Outlook: The top half of the men’s draw has an extra day of rest over the bottom half, a significant boon for Khachanov as he prepares to face Ruud in the semis. The towering Khachanov has enjoyed a brilliant run to his first-ever Grand Slam semifinal, but it hasn’t been an easy one. He’s dropped at least one set in each of his five matches and went the distance in both his fourth-round victory over Pablo Carreno Busta and his quarterfinal win over Nick Kyrgios. He’ll need every bit of his reserves against the indefatigable Ruud, whose court coverage is the best of any player he’s yet faced. Nerves are another factor. The 26-year-old has played big matches before—he was the silver medalist at the 2020 Olympics—but arguably none bigger than this one.
