Taylor Fritz or Frances Tiafoe will end the United States’ long wait for another Grand Slam finalist as the two will square off in an all-American semi-final at the 2024 US Open.
It will be the first time since 2009 that an American man will appear in a major final with Andy Roddick the last player to reach that stage of a Slam when he finished runner-up to Roger Federer at Wimbledon.
Roddick is also the last American man to reach a US Open final as he played in the showpiece match at Flushing Meadows in 2006, losing against Federer, while he is also the last American to win a Grand Slam as he won the 2003 US Open.
Interestingly, Roddick didn’t feature in an all-American Grand Slam semi-final during his career as you have to back to the Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi heydays for the last time it happened.
There were no all-American semi-finals from 2010 up until this year’s US Open while from 2005 to 2009 there were two, from 1990 to 1999 there were 14 and from 1980 until 1989 there were 23.
Let’s look at the last 8 all-American men’s Grand Slam semi-finals.
1995 Australian Open x2
We start off with two all-American semi-finals at the 1995 Australian Open as the quarter from the same country reached the last four. In fact, there were five Americans in the quarter-final with four advancing and Jim Courier the only one to miss out.
The top-seeded Pete Sampras took on fifth seed Michael Chang in the first semi-final and he came out on top with a 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win.
It was first seed against second seed in the final as Andre Agassi moved into the showpiece match when Aaron Krickstein retired with Agassi leading 6-4, 6-4, 3-0.
Agassi was the last American standing as he defeated Sampras 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.
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1995 US Open
There were also five American men in the quarter-final of the US Open in 1995 as Sampras, Agassi, Chang and Courier were joined by Patrick McEnroe.
Three reached the semi-final and Sampras took on Courier with the former winning the encounter in four sets. With Agassi beat Boris Becker in the other match, there was an all-American final and it was Sampras who won the title.
1996 Australian Open
The Americans were again at the fore at Melbourne Park in 1996 as Chang and Agassi played in the semi-final. The fifth-seeded Chang upset second seed Agassi in straight sets.
Boris Becker, though, denied Chang the trophy as the German won in four sets.
1996 Wimbledon
Three-time defending champion Pete Sampras was stunned by Richard Krajicek in the quarter-final while third seed Andre Agassi lost in the first round.
Yet the tournament still had an all-American semi-final as MaliVai Washington and Todd Martin stepped up to the plate.
It was the unseeded Washington who reached the final as he beat Martin 5-7, 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 10-8. The American then lost the final in straight sets against Krajicek.
1996 US Open
The Americans really enjoyed a fine Grand Slam season in 1996 as three of them also reached the last four at Flushing Meadows.
Agassi and Chang again squared off in the second semi-final and the latter beat the second seed 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 before going down 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) against Sampras in the final.
2000 Australian Open
Although there were two all-American Grand Slam finals in 1999, it would take another three and a bit years before there was another all-American semi-final.
This time it was Agassi against Sampras in the last four at Melbourne Park and the top seed came away with a five-set victory. Agassi went on to win his second Australian Open title as he beat Yevgeny Kafelnikov in the final.
2005 US Open
Sampras and Agassi played in the 2002 US Open final, but the next all-American semi-final was at Flushing Meadows in 1995 and it is also the most recent before Fritz and Tiafoe’s clash.
The unseeded Robby Ginepri caused a few upsets to reach the last four of a major for the first and only time in his career. He took on Agassi and the seventh seed won 6-4, 5-7, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 before going down in four sets against Federer in the final.
