Francis Tiafoe secured his place in the semifinals of the U.S. Open late Tuesday night after his opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, was compelled to retire due to an injury.
Tiafoe, who reached the semifinals at the tournament in 2022, will take on fellow American Taylor Fritz on Friday. This marks the first time in nearly two decades that two American men will compete against each other in a U.S. Open semifinal.
The last American man to win the U.S. Open was Andy Roddick in 2003.
Dimitrov had just managed to take the second set in a tiebreaker when he appeared to lose some speed on the court. He seemed slower during the third set and left the court to consult a trainer for a reported groin issue, following Tiafoe’s win in the third set, which put him ahead 2-1.
Dimitrov’s body language upon returning to the court indicated that his injury had not improved, and he was able to win only one game out of five before conceding the match to Tiafoe at the net.
This retirement is just one of several mid-match withdrawals that have occurred during this year’s tournament.
In tennis, a retirement or walkover occurs when a player automatically advances to the next round without playing. This can happen due to illness, injury, or a code of conduct violation. Tiafoe’s victory over Dimitrov will officially be recorded as a walkover. The terms “walkover” and “retirement” are generally used interchangeably to describe a match that concludes before its completion.