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Tiafoe is the first American man to reach the semifinals since 2006.

The early rounds of the US Open have nearly concluded, with tennis players gradually moving on to the semifinal round. Out of the players in the men’s division, one particular standout is American player Frances Tiafoe. After defeating Andrey Rublev in straight sets, Tiafoe has become the first male American competitor in the US Open to reach the semifinals since 2006, as well as the first Black competitor to reach a semifinal since 1972. Following the game, Tiafoe ran to the Arthur Ashe Stadium foyer to share hugs and cheers with his friends.

“I love to show the world what I can do,” Tiafoe said after the game. “I just want to go out there and try to give the crowd what they want — and that’s me getting the win.”

“Frances is such a fantastic young man. Good things happen to good people,” tournament director Stacey Allaster said. “Irrespective of how he finishes, this has been a monumental evolution in his career and he’ll only build upon the learning and success of this US Open.”

Frances Tiafoe's parents came to America from Sierra Leone in the '90s.

His dad took a job on a construction crew for a tennis center in Maryland, then as a custodian.

For 11 years, the Tiafoe family slept in one of its offices.

Frances just advanced to the US Open semifinals. pic.twitter.com/69IIZgKFYM

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) September 7, 2022

“It’s taken time for us to get gradually to where we are today,” said Tiafoe’s coach, former pro player Wayne Ferreira, adding that Tiafoe needed to make numerous changes to his habits and training to get ready for the tournament. “I kind of imagined he would be at his best by the end of next year.”

“Hopefully, there will be a movie about it one day,” Ferreira said. “But he has to win the Grand Slam first. You only get movies if you do well.”