Frances Tiafoe and Karen Khachanov both saw their 2026 US Open runs end in the semi-finals, but each leaves New York with a significant rise in the rankings.

Tiafoe reached the last four at Flushing Meadows for the third time in five years, yet his bid for a first Grand Slam final was stopped by fellow American Ben Shelton. Khachanov, meanwhile, exited in his second semi-final appearance, falling to top seed Alexander Zverev.

Khachanov was beaten in straight sets, with Zverev winning 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (8-6) in two hours and 57 minutes. Even so, the German felt the contest was closer than the scoreline suggested.

“Straight-set win, but anything but straightforward in a way. He played incredibly well, fought incredibly well,” he said.

Zverev added: “Second and third set I think it’s more than obvious that they could have gone both ways. I just played a few points better here and there, and I’m happy with the win.”

Tiafoe, after previous semi-final defeats in 2022 and 2024, again met his match in Shelton. He made the stronger start, taking the opening set, but Shelton found another level to close out a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 victory and book his place in a maiden major final.

The ranking impact is substantial for both men. Khachanov began the 2026 season at No 17, drifted to No 50 by the time the tournament began, and will now climb back into the top 30. He has moved up 24 places to No 26 in the Live ATP Rankings, helped by a semi-final run that delivered 800 points against just 50 to defend, for a net gain of 750.

Tiafoe, who had previously reached No 10, has set a new career-high of No 8. His semi-final run, after a third-round exit last year, added 700 points and lifted him four places.

The prize money reflects the scale of those runs as well. Khachanov earns $2,800,000 from the semi-final, taking his 2026 total from $1,407,005 to $4,207,005. Tiafoe receives the same cheque, raising his 2026 earnings from $2,831,365 to $5,631,365.

Aryna Sabalenka is one victory away from completing a rare US Open three-peat after reaching the final of the Grand Slam event.

She delivered what may have been her strongest showing of the season, beating Jessica Pegula 7-5, 6-2 on Arthur Ashe to move into the title match. It was a controlled, accomplished performance from a player who has repeatedly found her best level at Flushing Meadows.

Sabalenka won the tournament in 2024 and 2025, and she was also a finalist in 2023. Her recent record at the event underlines how well suited she has been to the demands of the New York stage. To find the last time she failed to go beyond the semi-final at the US Open, you have to go back to 2020.

Standing between Sabalenka and a third consecutive crown is Elena Rybakina. If Sabalenka gets it done, she would join a very short list of players to win three straight US Open titles, a distinction shared by only four others in the Open Era across the men’s and women’s game.

In the women’s draw, only Chris Evert and Serena Williams have managed the feat. Evert won four in a row in the 1970s, while Williams captured titles three straight years from 2012 to 2014 after earlier victories in 2012, 2013, and 2014. The men’s list includes John McEnroe, Ivan Lendl, and Roger Federer. McEnroe won from 1979 to 1981, Lendl from 1985 to 1987, and Federer is the only man to win four in succession, making his run the benchmark in the event’s modern history.

Sabalenka’s overall numbers at the US Open add to the sense that she enters the final in strong position. Her winning rate at the tournament stands at 85%, a figure that reflects how consistently she has produced in New York. Against Rybakina, she now has the chance to turn that record into another title and make more history.

The US Open has produced plenty of drama in 2026, but it has also drawn criticism for a number of issues at Flushing Meadows. Complaints about scheduling, ticket prices and influencers have all surfaced, with the latest debate centred on players being asked to compete deep into the night.

Martina Navratilova was among those to speak out after Venus Williams, Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz were all involved in matches that ran into the early hours. The discussion intensified again after the Shelton and Alcaraz quarter-final finished after 3:30am on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The problem, many argue, was not just the length of the matches but the setup around them. The US Open used only Arthur Ashe for the quarter-finals, fitting four matches onto one court. With every contest going to a deciding set, the finishing time was always likely to drift far beyond what is ideal.

Marion Bartoli has now offered her view on how organisers can avoid a repeat of those late finishes. Speaking on Sky Sports Tennis, she said, “From a TV point of view it’s great because you have people on the edge of their sofa and they want to watch the match from home,” said Bartoli on Sky Sports Tennis.

She then outlined the solution she believes should be adopted as the event progresses. “But I will say, ultimately, one match a night especially when you get down to the quarter-finals and you know those matches are going to be a lot closer could potentially be the solution,” she explained.

“I’d say in the first week you can have two matches because you know some of the matches might be one-sided, but as you move on, definitely one match.”

The schedule now appears less crowded, with only two matches per day on Arthur Ashe for the rest of the tournament. The women’s semi-finals are set for 10 September, followed by the men’s semi-finals on 11 September.

Saturday’s women’s final will be accompanied by a doubles match, while the men’s final is scheduled for Sunday, 13 September. Still, the US Open’s second-week scheduling has made one thing clear: once the draw tightens, late-night sessions need a different approach.