Tennis

Carlos Alcaraz has been putting on quite a performance at the 2022 U.S. Open. Now, the 19-year-old from Spain is only one win away from capturing the first Grand Slam tennis title of his career.

Alcaraz notched his third consecutive five-set victory on Friday when he defeated Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals of the men's singles tournament. On Sunday, the No. 3-seeded Alcaraz will take on No. 5-seeded Casper Ruud in the final of what has been a thrilling event at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City.

Like Alcaraz, Ruud is also playing in the U.S. Open final for the first time and is seeking his first victory at a major tournament. So either way, a first-time Grand Slam champion will be crowned Sunday.

Here's everything else you need to know heading into the Alcaraz-Ruud bout, which will be the final match of the 2022 U.S. Open.

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Men's Singles Final Info

Date: Sunday, Sept. 11

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN app

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Preview

Over the past two years, Carlos Alcaraz has been a player on the rise. Prior to 2021, he had never played at a major tournament. He then reached the quarterfinals at the 2021 U.S. Open and 2022 French Open, but he hadn't made it past that point at a Grand Slam event.

That changed this week in New York, and Alcaraz put in a ton of work to get to the U.S. Open final. He cruised through the first three rounds, winning each of those matches in straight sets, but things got much more competitive from there.

In the round of 16, Alcaraz defeated No. 15-seeded Marin Cilic 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Then in the quarterfinals, Alcaraz outlasted No. 11-seeded Jannik Sinner to win 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-7 (0), 7-5, 6-3.

Alcaraz had reason to be tired, especially after that quarterfinal match didn't end until 2:50 a.m. ET. Yet he came back two days later and beat Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals, notching a 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1, 6-7 (5), 6-3 victory.

"I feel great right now," Alcaraz said after that match, per Howard Fendrich of the Associated Press. "I mean, a little bit tired."

Alcaraz can't be too tired, because he still has one more match to go: a meeting with Casper Ruud in the final with the U.S. Open title on the line. And like Alcaraz, the 23-year-old Ruud has been on an impressive run in New York.

Ruud won his first-round match in straight sets, but four of his past five bouts have gone either four or five sets. Ruud needed only three sets in the quarterfinals against No. 13-seeded Matteo Berrettini, but he needed four against No. 27-seeded Karen Khachanov in the semis.

This will be the second time that Ruud will play in the final of a Grand Slam event. He had never made it past the round of 16 through his first 13 career major tournaments until he reached the final at this year's French Open. However, Ruud fell short of his first Grand Slam title, losing to Rafael Nadal in three straight sets.

"After Roland Garros, I was, of course, extremely happy, but also humble enough to think that could be my only final of my career," Ruud said, per ESPN.

It wasn't, and now, Ruud will have another opportunity to win a major tournament. But it's not going to be an easy task going up against Alcaraz.

Ruud knows that, too. Alcaraz has won each of the two previous head-to-head meetings between the two, which included a victory on a hard court in the final of the Miami Open in April.

In that match, Alcaraz defeated Ruud in two straight sets. But Sunday's meeting could be much longer, especially because of how these two standouts have been playing since arriving at the U.S. Open. So get ready for what should be a four- or five-set match.

Casper Ruud and Carlos Alcaraz will face off in the U.S. Open men's final on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York. The final Grand Slam event of the year has been full of surprises—all four of Friday's competitors were making their U.S. Open semifinal debuts—and promises a thrilling finish.

Ruud is back in a Grand Slam final after losing in the French Open to Rafael Nadal earlier this year. The 23-year-old Norwegian won the Swiss Open Gstaad in July and is looking to claim his first career Grand Slam title.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, is appearing in his first Grand Slam final after falling to Alexander Zverev in the French Open quarterfinals. On Friday, the 19-year-old Spaniard defeated American Frances Tiafoe in a grueling match, which was his second five-set bout in a matter of days and third of the week.

The winner will take home $2.6 million while the remaining finalist will pocket $1.3 million. Friday's losing semifinalists each earned $705,000 in prize money.

Oh, and the winner will also claim the world's No. 1 ranking.

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2022 U.S. Open Men's Singles Final

When: Sunday, September 11

Time: 4 p.m. ET

Where: Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens, New York

Prize Payout: $2.6 million to winner, $1.3 million to runner-up

TV and Live Stream: ESPN and ESPN+

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While Ruud isn't exactly a Grand Slam newcomer, he hasn't historically fared well on the biggest stage. His record coming into 2022 was 13-14 in the sport's marquee events, and he held a 3-4 record in New York.

However, Ruud has been on a surge this year, winning the Argentina Open, Geneva Open, and Swiss Open while notching his first Wimbledon match victory, and of course, reaching the French Open final.

Casper Ruud, not a name many outside of tennis would have heard of before the start of 2022, is into the US Open final as he dispatches of Russian Karen Khachanov 7-6 6-2 5-7 6-2. Not only could the Norwegian win a maiden major, but he could also become the new world No.1

— Rob Maul (@Rob_Maul) September 9, 2022

"After Roland Garros, I was, of course, extremely happy, but at the same time, humble enough to think that that could be my only final in a Grand Slam in my career," Ruud told reporters. "Those [don't] come easy. So, here I'm back again couple months later, so it feels beyond words could describe."

It's entirely possible that Ruud's run ends with a U.S. Open title. He's shown his versatility, reaching the final in both clay and hard-surface major events after winning eight of his nine ATP titles on clay. He's also shown growth under the guidance of his father and former pro Christian Ruud.

Ruud flashed both on Friday against powerful 26-year-old Karen Khachanov. He'll need that and more to beat Alcaraz, who is coming off of his own breakout 2022 tour.

Alcaraz, who made his ATP debut in 2020 at the age of 16, participated in all four Grand Slam events this year. He made it to the third round of the Australian Open, the fourth round at Wimbledon and the quarterfinals at the French Open.

His rise in New York has been even more impressive. On Friday, he managed to outlast Tiafoe, the promising American who knocked out Rafael Nadal—the winner of this year's Australian and French Opens and a four-time U.S. Open champion.

After beating Nadal and Andrey Rublev, Tiafoe became the first American to reach the semis in 16 years.

Tiafoe took an early lead by winning the opening set via an 8-6 tiebreak. While Tiafoe also had the support of the home crowd, Alcaraz won two hard-fought sets before Tiafoe forced a fifth with another tiebreak win. His technique and staying power were on full display throughout the back-and-forth battle and especially in the final frame.

Man what I would give to get the type of endurance that Alcaraz has right now.

— Chris Williamson (@CWilliamson44) September 10, 2022

Alcaraz's victory came after Wednesday's five-plus-hour match against Jannik Sinner.

"Honestly, I still don't know how I did it," Alcaraz said, per Yahoo Sports' Sam Goodwin.

Fatigue could be a legitimate problem for Alcaraz after his match with the 22nd seed—one that went to a tiebreak in the fourth set as well as the first. It's not as if Ruud has had an easy run of the tournament, but Alcaraz has been forced to push through two consecutive endurance tests.

The expectation here is that fresher legs and experience will carry the day on Sunday. Expect another epic match, though, and expect both Ruud and Alcaraz to remain in the championship spotlight for the foreseeable future.

Prediction: Ruud wins in five sets.

Iga Świątek came to the 2022 U.S. Open as the No. 1 seed in the women's singles tournament, aiming to win the event for the first time. Now, the 21-year-old from Poland is one win away from doing just that.

Świątek will take on No. 5-seeded Ons Jabeur in the women's singles final on Saturday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City. Neither player had previously made it past the round of 16 at the U.S. Open.

While Świątek is seeking her third career Grand Slam title—she previously won the French Open in both 2020 and 2022—Jabeur is looking to win her first. The 28-year-old from Tunisia has played in only one previous final at a major tournament, and that was in July at Wimbledon, where she was the runner-up to Elena Rybakina.

Here's everything you need to know about the Świątek-Jabeur matchup in the 2022 U.S. Open women's singles final.

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Women's Singles Final Info

Date: Saturday, Sept. 10

Start Time: 4 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Prize Money: The winner receives $2.6 million. The runner-up receives $1.3 million.

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Preview, Prediction

Although neither Świątek nor Jabeur has ever played in the U.S. Open final, the two have faced off against each other in the past. So they're going to be familiar with the opponent across from them on the court.

It's been a competitive series, too. Świątek and Jabeur have split their four previous meetings, winning two apiece. Two of those matches took place on hard courts, with each notching one victory.

Considering they were both seeded in the top five, it's not a huge surprise that both have made it to this point in the U.S. Open. That's especially the case for Świątek, who has played well throughout the year and got off to a dominant start in New York.

Świątek won each of her first three U.S. Open matches in straight sets. Her past three bouts have all gone a full three sets, but she's been playing some tough competition, including No. 8-seeded Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals and No. 6-seeded Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinals.

After dropping the opening set against Sabalenka, Świątek rallied back for an impressive 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory to punch her ticket to the final. Świątek was also down 4-2 in that final set before taking the last four games to win it.

There's a good chance Świątek gets tested again in the final. Jabeur had gone to three sets in three straight matches before a strong showing in the semifinals, in which she defeated No. 17-seeded Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-3.

Can Jabeur keep that momentum going and get off to a strong start in the final? And if so, will Świątek again be resilient enough to withstand any difficult situations she may find herself in?

“Iga never loses finals, so it’s going to be very tough,” Jabeur said, per NBC Sports' Olympic Talk. “I know she struggled a little bit with the balls here, but I don’t see her struggling much, to be honest with you. She’s playing awesome. It’s going to be a tough match. Definitely going for my revenge.”

It seems highly likely that the Świątek-Jabeur match will go three sets, and it wouldn't be surprising if Jabeur takes the first before Świątek bounces back to take the second. That will set up what should be a thrilling third set to decide the title.

While this is a match that could go either way, the prediction here is that Świątek will end up the winner. She's having a slightly better year, and she has already shown the ability to thrive in high-pressure situations this week, which will help her on this big stage.

Jabeur will eventually capture a Grand Slam title, but not Saturday. This one is going to Świątek, who will win her first major tournament on a non-clay surface.

Prediction: Świątek wins in three sets

With the conclusion of the women's singles semifinals on Thursday night, we now know which two players will be vying for the U.S. Open title this year—as well as the $2.6 million in prize money on the line.

No. 5 seed Ons Jabeur topped France's Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-3 in the opening semifinal match of the evening at Arthur Ashe Stadium to lock down the first spot in the final, doing so in just one hour and six minutes.

In the evening's second semifinal, world No. 1 Iga Świątek needed a bit longer to dispatch sixth-seeded Aryna Sabalenka—two hours, 11 minutes, to be exact. But the Polish phenom indeed emerged victorious 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.

World No. 1 @iga_swiatek is into the #USOpen final! pic.twitter.com/DuTcAAi3zU

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022

In 2022, the U.S. Open is set to hand out a record of more than $60 million in total prize money, upping the 2021 total of $57.5 million, which also set a new record.

The total prize money for women's singles at the 2022 U.S. Open is $42,628,000 (as it is for men's singles). After the winner's share of $2.6 million, which is up from $2.5 million last year, the runner-up receives $1.3 million.

Below is the entire prize-money breakdown for the women's singles tournament.

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2022 U.S. Open Women's Singles Prize Money Breakdown

Champion: $2,600,000

Runner-up: $1,300,000

Semifinalist: $705,000

Quarterfinalist: $445,000

Round of 16: $278,000

Round of 32: $188,000

Round of 64: $121,000

Round of 128: $80,000

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With her win Thursday evening, Jabeur has reached her second straight Grand Slam final after finishing as the runner-up at Wimbledon.

The Tunisian has also made history as the first African woman to reach the U.S. Open final in the professional era, or since 1968. She was the first African woman and Arab woman to reach the final at Wimbledon, as well.

What a moment for @Ons_Jabeur.

She becomes the first woman representing an African nation to make the #USOpen final. 🙌 pic.twitter.com/mgKFmguZKQ

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) September 9, 2022

With a U.S. Open win, Jabeur would notch her first major championship.

"Feels more real, to be honest with you, just to be in the final again," Jabeur said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). "At Wimbledon, I was kind of just living the dream, and I couldn't believe it."

Both Jabeur and Świątek have reached the U.S. Open final for the first time in their careers. (The same would have been true for their semifinal opponents, Garcia and Sabalenka.)

Świątek is playing for her third Grand Slam title. However, it's her first major singles final appearance on a surface that's not clay.

In Jabeur, Świątek will face an opponent who has made her serve her strength, enough so that it managed to stand out even against Garcia—even though the latter leads the tour in aces in 2022. Meanwhile, Świątek will rely on her strong defense and all-court playing style.

Jabeur has been on a tear this season and has picked up many fans along the way. However, Świątek is the world No. 1 for a reason, and it's hard to bet against her.

You can see them face off in the women's singles final Saturday at 4 p.m. ET.

Prediction: Świątek in three sets

To the final we go.

On Thursday, the women's semifinals were contested at the U.S. Open, as Iga Świątek, Ons Jabeur, Aryna Sabalenka and Caroline Garcia vowed to move one step away from earning a grand slam title.

Below, we'll break down the day's results and top highlights from an exciting night in New York.

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Scores

No. 5 Ons Jabeur def. No. 17 Caroline Garcia, 6-1, 6-3

No. 1 Iga Świątek def. No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4

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Recap

The U.S. Open went well into the night on Wednesday after it took Carlos Alcaraz over five hours to beat Jannik Sinner in a quarterfinals match for the ages that didn't end until 2:50 a.m ET.

Jabeur wasn't interested in keeping fans in their seats for nearly as long, breezing through a straight-sets victory against Garcia.

Her dominance was on display early in a commanding first set that took just over 20 minutes to complete.

Ons Jabeur takes the first set convincingly 🌟 #USOpen pic.twitter.com/wCKYKuX0Br

— ESPN (@espn) September 8, 2022

Ons Jabeur wins the first set 6-1 against Caroline Garcia.

In 26 minutes.

Wow. #USOpen

— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) September 8, 2022

That was a clinical, flawless set of tennis from Ons Jabeur, 6-1 over Carolina Garcia in 22 minutes. Damn.

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 8, 2022

That was made all the more impressive by the fact that Garcia hadn't dropped a set at the tournament up until that point.

She only kept her foot on the gas pedal in the second set:

Unplayable at the moment 🔥@Ons_Jabeur | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/h1dRnoGtcK

— wta (@WTA) September 9, 2022

Closing in!@Ons_Jabeur has her sights set on the #USOpen final. pic.twitter.com/Z7sv6LP5Uf

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022

For Jabeur—whose previous best result in New York was a trip to the Round of 32—it continues an excellent 2022 season. She's now reached back-to-back grand slam finals after reaching Wimbledon's final match.

That feeling of making your first #USOpen final 🗣

Ons Jabeur moves on!

(via @usopen)pic.twitter.com/w5wxLFfkfh

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 9, 2022

"After Wimbledon, [there was] a lot of pressure on me, and I'm really relieved that I can back up my results," she said after the match.

Jabeur: "Feels more real, to be honest with you just to be in the finals again. At Wimbledon I was kind of just living the dream.

"Just happy the fact that I backed up the results in Wimbledon and people are not really surprised I'm in the finals." #USOpen

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 9, 2022

Her run to the Wimbledon final ended in a loss to Elena Rybakina. Jabeur will be hoping for a different ending at the U.S. Open.

She'll be facing Świątek, who found herself in an absolute battle against Sabalenka on Thursday night. Sabalenka won the first set and held both 2-0 and 4-2 leads in the final set.

World No. 1 @iga_swiatek is into the #USOpen final! pic.twitter.com/DuTcAAi3zU

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 9, 2022

Swiatek and Jabeur are the two players of 2022, sans doute.

Fitting and awesome that they will face off for the #USOpen title to end the year in women's grand slam tennis.

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 9, 2022

Iga Swiatek vs Ons Jabeur.

The two best players in the world in the final of the last grand slam of the year.

— Tumaini Carayol (@tumcarayol) September 9, 2022

But she couldn't put away the resilient Świątek, who is now heading to her first U.S. Open final and will look to duplicate her French Open title from earlier this season.

A final against Jabeur is about a good of a matchup as tennis fans could have hoped for, outside of a Serena Williams run in her final tournament. But given the level of the two players who did reach the final this season, Saturday's matchup should be absolutely brilliant.

One way or another, the U.S. Open will feature a new women's singles champion in 2022.

At Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, on Wednesday, Aryna Sabalenka defeated Karolina Plíšková before Iga Świątek defeated Jessica Pegula to advance to the semifinals. The Nos. 6 seed 1 seeds, respectivelly, will battle it out Thursday for a spot in Saturday's final.

The winner will take on either Caroline Garcia or Ons Jabeur. The No. 17 seed (Garcia) and No. 5 seed (Jabeur) will also face off Thursday for a spot in the championship match.

As José Morgado of Diário Record and Sport TV noted, the U.S. Open will—along with the men's division—feature four new finalists over the weekend:

Aryna Sabalenka beats Karolina Pliskova 6-1, 7-6(4) to reach back to back #USOpen semifinals. Her best result of the season, a bit out of nowhere. If on till Saturday… very tough to beat. #USOpen will have four brand new singles finalists in the weekend. pic.twitter.com/Z02xW23wq5

— José Morgado (@josemorgado) September 7, 2022

Thursday's action promises to be full of entertainment as the four remaining women vie for a chance to win it all. The action will begin with Garcia and Jabeur at 7 p.m. ET.

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U.S. Open Women's Semifinals

Where: Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York

When: Thursday, Sept. 8

Time: Garcia vs. Jabeur, 7 p.m. ET; Świątek vs. Sabalenka, 8:15 p.m. ET

TV and Live Stream: ESPN, ESPN+

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Caroline Garcia (17) vs Ons Jabeur (5)

This year's fourth and final Grand Slam has featured plenty of upsets, and Garcia will look to deliver another one Thursday. Getting here wasn't easy for the 28-year-old, who had lost both times she had previously faced Coco Gauff.

However, Garcia has been on a roll this season and has not lost a set in the tournament thus far. Her winning streak stands at 13 matches overall.

"The last couple of months," Garcia said, per ESPN. "I feel healthy again.''

Can Garcia advance in her first career Grand Slam semifinal appearance? Standing in her way is Tunisia's Jabeur, the Wimbledon runner-up and the first woman to represent an African nation in the U.S. Open semis in the professional era.

"It really means a lot to me," Jabeur said, per ESPN.

Jabeur is coming off a victory against Ajla Tomljanovic, who ousted Serena Williams in the third round.

Both competitors will carry momentum into Thursday's matchup, and it's going to be a hard-fought match. Expect Jabeur's experience at Wimbledon to push her into another finals appearance.

Predicted Winner: Jabeur

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Iga Świątek (1) vs. Aryna Sabalenka (6)

Thursday's nightcap will be another fantastic match, though Świątek has a slight edge in Grand Slam experience. The two-time French Open champion (2020, 2022) was also a semifinalist in this year's Australian Open.

Her opponent, however, won't be an easy out by any means. The 24-year-old Belarusian has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the world (2021) and has twice made the semis at the U.S. Open (2021, 2022).

Sabalenka, a semifinalist at Wimbledon last year, wasn't allowed to compete this summer because of The Championship's ban on Russian and Belarusian players because of the invasion of Ukraine. She used the time away from competition to better prepare for this tournament.

"I had another preseason," Sabalenka said, per Marc Berman of the New York Post. "I worked really hard, and I worked a lot on my serve."

It's hard to pick against Świątek, who has made her path to the semifinals seem relatively easy. According to ESPN Stats & Information, she is the first top-seeded woman at the U.S. Open to reach the semis while dropping one or fewer sets since Williams in 2016.

Świątek has won three of her four previous meetings with Sabalenka. Expect her to make it 4-of-5 on Thursday.

Predicted Winner: Świątek

The semifinals are set after Wednesday's action at the U.S. Open following four quarterfinal matchups.

Below, we'll break down the day's scores, highlights and key moments from another fun day in New York.

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Men's Results

No. 22 Frances Tiafoe def. No. 9 Andrey Rublev 7-6, 7-6, 6-4

No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz def. No. 11 Jannik Sinner 6-3, 6-7, 6-7, 7-5, 6-3

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Women's Results

No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka def. No. 22 Karolína Plíšková 6-1, 7-6

No. 1 Iga Świątek def. No. 8 Jessica Pegula 6-3, 7-6

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Recap

Carlos Alcaraz outlasted Jannik Sinner in an instant-classic match that lasted five hours and 15 minutes and ended at 2:50 a.m. ET.

Un-believable.@carlosalcaraz we have no words. pic.twitter.com/3fflDLRiUb

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2022

It's the second-longest match in U.S. Open history, trailing only the 1992 men's semifinal between Michael Chang and Stefan Edberg that took five hours, 26 minutes to complete.

Alcaraz, 19, is the youngest men's player to reach the U.S. Open semifinal since Pete Sampras won the tournament as a 19-year-old in 1990.

ALCARAZ BEHIND THE BACK WHAT?!!?!?! pic.twitter.com/ylewLwrqxu

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2022

Sinner had a chance to end things much earlier. After winning the second and third sets in a tiebreak, he was up 5-4 on match point in the fourth set. Alcaraz fought back, winning three consecutive games to force a decisive fifth set.

Despite losing the fourth set, Sinner came out strong in the fifth. He was serving with a 3-2 lead, but Alcaraz broke him to even things. The Spanish star rode a wave of momentum by winning the final four games to secure a spot in the semifinal against Frances Tiafoe.

What can I say? 🤯 US OPEN SEMIFINALS! Incredible battle @janniksin! You really forced me to improve, and I'm sure we'll have many more matches in the future! 🤝🏻 @usopen

📸 Getty Images pic.twitter.com/EeR1rzSDkA

— Carlos Alcaraz (@carlosalcaraz) September 8, 2022

Tiafoe's magical run continues.

The 22nd seed became the first American man to reach the U.S. Open semifinals since Andy Roddick back in 2006, knocking off Rublev on Wednesday.

It didn't come easy, requiring two tiebreakers, but Tiafoe is through.

This first set has been 💯 thanks in part to shots like these 👇#USOpen pic.twitter.com/8MErRHWpbW

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2022

Absolute touch from Tiafoe!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/02BDWsfKkG

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2022

Frances Tiafoe didn't miss in that second set tiebreak.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/M4qK16jbO7

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2022

"We got two more guys, we got two more!"

American Frances Tiafoe, a first-time US Open semifinalist, keeping his eye on the prize as he speaks to the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium pic.twitter.com/wzjRHvJSsY

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) September 7, 2022

And unsurprisingly, he's the fan favorite:

It is so easy to root for Tiafoe. Two more.

— Raymond Summerlin (@RMSummerlin) September 7, 2022

Tremendous work today @FTiafoe ! Rock solid execution under pressure all 3 sets. Why not Big Fo's time @usopen ? Semis next. 🇺🇸

— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) September 7, 2022

Frances Tiafoe is the King of New York

— Gregg Rosenthal (@greggrosenthal) September 7, 2022

It's been an incredible run from Tiafoe. He's now knocked out No. 14 Diego Schwartzman, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and No. 9 Rublev in consecutive matches, all while dropping just a single set.

It's been the story of the tournament thus far.

As Brad Gilbert noted on the broadcast, Tiafoe has a sub-.500 career record on the ATP Tour and has only one title - the Delray Beach Open in 2018. The idea he could win the US Open was crazy - until now

— Dan Wolken (@DanWolken) September 7, 2022

He now awaits the winner of Alcarez vs. Sinner in the semis.

On the women's side, Sabalenka—who was banned from Wimbledon this year as a Belarusian national after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, given Belarus' close political ties to Russia—returned to the grand slams and booked her ticket to the semifinals with a convincing win over Plíšková.

"I think I started really well, and the first set was really high level for me and put a lot of pressure on her," Sabalenka told reporters. "First set was really great. In the second set, I knew she would kind of try to come back and she would do better. I just tried to hold my serve and tried to put her under pressure on her serve."

Sets up the lob nicely 👌@SabalenkaA | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/Hlmpzq7qoH

— wta (@WTA) September 7, 2022

It is Sabalenka's second straight trip to the semifinals in New York. She will meet Świątek, who outlasted Pegula in straight sets 6-3, 7-6.

IGA SWIATEK IS INTO THE SEMIS pic.twitter.com/0ylzbW3bgT

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2022

"I remember when I was an underdog and any match like that was pretty surreal. Right now, it feels a little bit like a routine," Świątek said after the match. "But I'm pretty happy that I have motivation and that I want to push even harder because I think any of us can win any tournament, so anybody is a really dangerous opponent."

Świątek, who entered as the top seed in the tournament, is now the first Polish player to reach the semifinals at the U.S. Open since 1968. She's now 19-2 in Grand Slam matches this year. She is aiming to win the second major singles title of her career.

The quarterfinals of the men's and women's singles tournaments at the 2022 U.S. Open kicked off Tuesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York, and the action did not disappoint.

The early window was highlighted by a match on the men's side between No. 5 seed Casper Ruud, who is in contention to become the world No. 1 after this tournament, and No. 13 Matteo Berrettini.

Ruud defeated Berrettini 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to reach the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time in his career.

On the women's side, No. 5 Ons Jabeur and Ajla Tomljanović highlighted the early action. Jabeur defeated Tomljanović 6-4, 7-6 (4).

All of Tuesday's matches were held at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Here's a look at the results and a deeper dive into the action.

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Men's Draw Matches and Scores

No. 5 Casper Ruud vs. No. 13 Matteo Berrettini: 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4)

No. 23 Nick Kyrgios vs. No. 27 Karen Khachanov: 8:15 P.M. ET

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Women's Draw Matches and Scores

No. 5 Ons Jabeur vs. Ajla Tomljanović: 6-4, 7-6 (4)

No. 17 Carolina Garcia def. No. 12 CoCo Gauff: 6-3, 6-4

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No. 5 Casper Ruud vs. No. 13 Matteo Berrettini: 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4)

Casper Ruud could be the next world No. 1 by the time the U.S. Open comes to a close, and he looked the part in a 6-1, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over Matteo Berrettini on Tuesday.

Ruud opened the match winning 11 of his first 13 games, including a 5-0 start in the first set.

In the second set, the Norwegian went up 5-1 before Berrettini displayed some resistance, breaking to 5-3 and holding his serve to make it 5-4. Ruud bounced back to win the final point of the set and claim a 6-4 victory.

Berrettini began the third set up 2-0 and went on to force Ruud to battle back from down 5-2. Ruud did just that and went on to force a tiebreak, which he won 7-4 to claim the set 7-6.

Casper Ruud compiling the highlights early in Ashe!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/2gJjRKOMMu

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2022

Matteo Berrettini is battling back in the second set! #USOpen pic.twitter.com/KWorBk5rRS

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2022

Casper Ruud came to play!

He's up two sets on Matteo Berrettini. pic.twitter.com/lN8MNybhFn

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2022

He completes it in three!@CasperRuud98 is impressive in his first #USOpen quarterfinal. pic.twitter.com/hENtZXSgcV

— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2022

Ruud will face either Nick Kyrgios or Karen Khachanov in the semifinals at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday.

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No. 5 Ons Jabeur vs. Ajla Tomljanović: 6-4, 7-6 (4)

Ons Jabeur cruised to a straight-set victory over Ajla Tomljanović 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Tuesday to punch her ticket to the U.S. Open semifinals for the first time in her career.

The No. 5 seed also became the first-ever African woman to reach the U.S. Open semifinals. She hails from the North African country of Tunisia.

The first set saw Jabeur take a 3-1 lead before Tomljanović climbed back to make it 3-3. Jabeur found herself back up by two games at 5-3, but Tomljanović held to make it 5-4.

Jabeur went on to win 6-4 in a rather unspectacular performance. Both players struggled to find their first serves, which continued into the next set.

The second set saw Jabeur take a 2-0 lead before Tomljanović fought back to make it a 5-4 set in her favor. Jabeur's play was good enough for her to force a tiebreak, which she went on to win in rather impressive fashion.

Jabeur will face Caroline Garcia in the next round.

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No. 17 Carolina Garcia def. No. 12 CoCo Gauff: 6-3, 6-4

Caroline Garcia put an end to CoCo Gauff's time at the US Open on Tuesday night with a 6-3, 6-4 win at Arthur Ashe Stadium, becoming the first French woman to make a major semifinal since 2013.

Garcia is also just the third French woman to make the US Open semifinals in the Open era, joining Amelie Mauresmo (2002 and 2006) and Mary Pierce (2005).

The crowd in Flushing Meadows tried to Gauff going throughout the night, but this was Garcia's match from beginning to end. She dominated the action and overpowered Gauff for the victory.

The 28-year-old has yet to drop a set at the US Open, defeating Kamilla Rakhimova, Anna Kalinskaya, Bianca Andreescu, Alison Riske-Amriraj and Gauff all in straight sets.

Garcia will face No. 5 Ons Jabeur in the semifinals on Thursday. Jabeur leads their head-to-head series 2-0.

Professional tennis player Fiona Ferro said she was raped by former coach Pierre Bouteyre.

According to Agence France-Presse (via ESPN.com's Aishwarya Kumar), Bouteyre has been charged with rape and sexual assault. Ferro said the alleged assaults occurred between 2012 and 2015, when Bouteyre worked as her private coach and she was a teenager.

Ferro said in a statement on social media Friday she has "full confidence in the justice system of my country and confirm that I do not wish to make any other statement on the criminal investigation," according to the Associated Press:

pic.twitter.com/Vnb1S9cRKS

— Fiona Ferro (@fioferro) September 2, 2022

Bouteyre's lawyer responded to the allegations by telling AFP his client "recognizes the relationship occurred but denies any coercion."

French Tennis Federation president Gilles Moretton said the organization is supporting Ferro (via Kumar):

"We would like to express our support for Fiona Ferro, while respecting the presumption of innocence, at a time that we know is particularly difficult for her. The FFT's sports integrity unit is currently assisting her and we will do everything we can to help her rebuild her life."

The WTA also told the AP they "applaud Fiona for having the courage to come forward with these allegations":

"We are pleased to see a full investigation and legal process being pursued. The WTA is dedicated to ensuring a safe environment across our tour. Safeguarding requires vigilance, and we are continuing to invest in education, training, and resources to improve our efforts."

Victoria Azarenka is a member of the WTA Players' Council, a group of select players that advocates on behalf of their peers. Azarenka addressed Ferro's allegations Saturday and said it's part of a wider concern for the council:

In light of Fiona Ferro's accusations of rape and sexual assault against her former coach in France, this is indeed more urgent than ever

This from Victoria Azarenka today: pic.twitter.com/TCLBmzDZkR

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) September 3, 2022

Ferro is the No. 259 player in the world, having reached a career high of 39th in March 2021. The 25-year-old is 8-14 in singles action this season and most recently competed in qualifying for the 2022 U.S. Open.

President Joe Biden congratulated Serena Williams Saturday on her long and successful career after she lost Friday in the third round at the U.S. Open to Ajla Tomljanović, 7-6, (4) 6-7, 6-1.

.@SerenaWilliams, you’re an inspiration, a champion of all time.

Thank you for dreaming, daring, and proving that anything is possible.

— President Biden Archived (@POTUS46Archive) September 3, 2022

Williams announced earlier in August that she was planning to retire after this season.

She ends her career with a long list of achievements that includes 23 Grand Slam titles (trailing only Margaret Court's 24) and four Olympic gold medals (three in doubles, one in singles).

🏆 186 consecutive weeks at No. 1
🏆 4x Olympic gold medalist
🏆 23-time major champion
🏆 367 major match wins
🏆 6 US Open titles
🏆 73 career titles

1 of 1 🐐 @serenawilliams pic.twitter.com/YdON5l7RzX

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 3, 2022

She is universally recognized as the greatest female tennis player of all time, arguably the greatest player the sport has ever seen, period, and one of the most important and impactful athletes of her generation.

Suffice to say, President Biden wasn't the only prominent figure who gave Serena her flowers:

Thank you, #Serena. pic.twitter.com/uOoxOZomd8

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) September 3, 2022

.@KingJames giving the QUEEN @serenawilliams all her 💐 💐 💐

(via @uninterrupted)pic.twitter.com/Z9gdO7w7Cf

— ESPN (@espn) September 3, 2022

Serena, THANK YOU. It is because of you I believe in this dream. The impact you’ve had on me goes beyond any words that can be put together and for that I say thank you, thank you, thank you, GOAT! pic.twitter.com/qeNZlC05WJ

— Coco Gauff (@CocoGauff) September 3, 2022

Congratulations, Serena, for your heart, skill, intelligence, dedication, and grace. Few athletes have inspired more people both in and beyond their sport!

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) September 3, 2022

thank you @serenawilliams for transcending sports for black athletes, female athletes and every athlete🤍

such a pleasure to watch, thanks for being an inspiration

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) September 3, 2022

Her retirement marks the end of an era. It's hard to imagine another player dominating and defining their own era quite like Williams did in hers.