NEW YORK, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Coco Gauff cheered on the historic success of her fellow Black Americans at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, where Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe were poised to make history when they face off in the semi-finals.
Eighth-seed Shelton and 11th-seed Tiafoe are the first Black American men to face off in the semi-final of a Grand Slam in the Open Era, breaking barriers in a sport that has long been overwhelmingly white. Their semi-final clash is on Friday.
"On the men's side, I never thought I would see, be able to have the chance to see, like an all-Black semi-final between the guys in my lifetime, honestly," said the 22-year-old Gauff, who recovered from a set down to beat Mirra Andreeva and reach the penultimate stage of the women's singles draw.
"Even growing up, just look at who was playing, I just never thought that that would be able to happen. And to have also me in the semis, I think it's really cool."
Shelton and Tiafoe became the first Black American men in 15 years to meet on Arthur Ashe Stadium when they played each other in the 2023 quarter-finals, a moment that was hailed as a key sign of progress for Black athletes on the court named for the sport's great pioneer.
Three years later, the two have made significant inroads in tennis, with Tiafoe reaching the semi-final in New York in 2024 and Shelton picking up two Masters 1000-level prizes, including last month in Montreal.
"Obviously I have so much respect for both Ben and Frances, so I'm just rooting for a good match, and hopefully whoever wins can bring it home," said Gauff, the 2023 winner and who will play second-seed Elena Rybakina next.
Gauff took inspiration from Tiafoe, a longtime friend, as she saved two match points to get past Andreeva on Wednesday, citing his come-from-behind win over Alex Michelsen on Tuesdayas motivation.
"Frances is such a light and such a joy to have on tour," said Gauff. "He's a special type of person, and I think that everybody, almost everybody on tour, can agree that he's one of the few players who is always lighting up the room and giving respect towards, especially us women too, like hyping us up.
"I think that's something really special. He's a rare person in this world and in this sport."
(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Neil Fullick)
