Americans highlight U.S. Open men's quarterfinals on Tuesday

Alex Michelsen. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters

Americans highlight U.S. Open men's quarterfinals on Tuesday

By Alan Rubenstein | Last updated Sep 7, 2026 9:24 PM ET

Three Americans are playing in the men's U.S. Open quarterfinals, which begin on Tuesday. The other half of the quarterfinals will be played on Wednesday. Alex Michelsen plays Francis Tiafoe in an All-America quarterfinal on Tuesday afternoon, and Ben Shelton plays Carlos Alcaraz in the second prime-time match.

With the U.S. Open in the quarterfinals, the remaining matches will be played at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Michelsen and Tiafoe will not begin their match before 1 p.m. ET. The start of Michelsen and Tiafoe could be delayed depending on the length of the women's semifinal between Linda Noskova and Aryna Sabalenka, which starts at 11:30 a.m.

Michelsen has made a run to his first Grand Slam quarterfinal as an unseeded player without losing a set. The biggest win for Michelsen in the 2026 U.S. Open was over 16th seed Brandon Nakashima, 6-3,6-4, 6-4, in the second round. Michelsen has been on court for 8:50 in his four matches.

Tiafoe needed five sets to win his first-round match but won his last three matches in straight sets. Michelsen should be more refreshed entering the quarterfinal match against Tiafoe. Tiafoe has been on court for 11:24 in the 2026 U.S. Open.

US Open Men's Singles Quarterfinals, Bottom Half:

[11] Frances Tiafoe vs. Alex Michelsen

[2] Carlos Alcaraz vs. [8] Ben Shelton

Alcaraz and the Americans.
— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 7, 2026

Alex Michelsen vs. Francis Tiafoe: All-time series

Tiafoe won both matches he has played against Michelsen. Michelsen and Tiafoe are playing against each other in a Grand Slam for the first time. The U.S. Open quarterfinal is also the first time that Michelsen and Tiafoe are playing each other outside of Texas. Tiafoe beat Michelsen in 2024 indoors in Dallas and in Houston in 2025 on clay outdoors.

Carlos Alcaraz against Ben Shelton

Alcaraz has been nearly flawless in his return after missing four-and-a-half months following wrist surgery. Alcaraz won in straight sets in the first round and lost the first set in the second round before winning his last nine sets. Shelton needed four sets in each of his first three rounds before beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the fourth round on Saturday.

The win over Tsitsipas moved Shelton to fifth in the ATP rankings, tying his career high. Alcaraz is third in the rankings after Alexander Zverev passed him during his absence. With Jannik Sinner out with a knee injury, Alcaraz earned the second seed behind Zverev in the 2026 US Open.

Read for Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/ZKW4fXgz5s
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2026

Alcaraz leads the all-time series against Shelton three wins to none. Tuesday is Alcaraz and Shelton's second match in a Grand Slam. Alcaraz and Shelton previously played in the 2023 National Bank Open in Toronto, the 2024 Laver Cup and the 2024 French Open.

The first two matches were straight sets, before Alcaraz won in four sets at Roland Garros. Shelton is seeking his third Grand Slam semifinal appearance. Previously, Shelton advanced to the 2023 Australian Open, which was famously the first time he travelled outside the United States. The winners on Tuesday advance to the semifinals on Friday.

Alan Rubenstein

More must-reads: