Frances Tiafoe punched his ticket to the 2026 US Open semifinal after a thrilling 5-7 3-6 7-5 6-3 7-6(6) comeback win over fellow American Alex Michelsen.
Following the four-hour and 38-minute showdown, Tiafoe paused his celebration to give Michelsen a hug. “As soon as I hugged him, I’d seen he was crying already and I was like, ‘Man, I know. I’ve been there’. I’ve been there twice to be fair. Lost in five,” Tiafoe explained.
Next up, Tiafoe takes on another close friend, Ben Shelton, who’s also coming off a marathon win. Shelton defeated Carlos Alcaraz in a five-set duel that didn’t end until 3:33 am EST — the latest match in US Open history.
With an all-American, all-Black semifinal, a Black American man will reach the first major final since MaliVai Washington at 1996 Wimbledon.
Cheering on Tiafoe for the historic showdown on September 11, his longtime girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, who’s been a fixture at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
Broomfield, who was a tennis double for Saniyya Sidney, the actress who played Venus Williams in the 2021 film “King Richard,” caught her boyfriend’s attention with her latest social media post.
Frances Tiafoe Supports Ayan Broomfield’s Latest Brand Partnership Amid the US Open
Tiafoe hit the comments section to support Broomfield’s new partnership with Pure Leaf. She captioned the post, “Tennis taught me to never underestimate a good break 🎾. Taking my own set break with @pureleaf and getting ready for the Quarterfinals.”
After his quarterfinal win, Tiafoe commented, “❤️❤️❤️🤞🏿.”
Broomfield is not just at Flushing Meadows to support her man, the former NCAA doubles champ is also working hard as an influencer. Of course, her work doesn’t compare to what Tiafoe is doing on the court.
Before he defeated Michelsen, she captioned a video of herself lying in bed and wrote, “saying goodbye to my man knowing he has to play at the us open for five hours meanwhile i have a 45 second cutesy grwm to edit.” Tiafoe couldn’t help but comment on the cheeky post.
Frances Tiafoe’s Girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield, Started a Movement With Ayan’s Aces at Tennis Tournaments
Broomfield hosted numerous Ayan’s Aces events in Flushing Meadows. “Traveling with Frances, I did notice that there was a discrepancy between women of color on court and women of color off court,” she told Marie Claire earlier this month.
“I think at one point—and this is where it was like, I got to do something about this—I had gone to a tennis tournament five days in a row, had not seen one Black woman there.” Through Ayan’s Aces, she personally works with tournaments to “allocate free tickets for women of color to come.”
I just want to put us into everything,” the 29-year-old says. “I’m in a very blessed position that I’m able to work with incredible brands. I’m able to go to incredible events, and I just want to make sure that I’m using my platform to bring other girls with me and foster this community, because the more times that women of color are seen, the more opportunities we’ll all get.
Frances Tiafoe Has No Words for Girlfriend Ayan’s Message at US Open