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For Ben Shelton, though, it's only just begun.
Tiafoe, who is ranked No. 10 in the world, fell to 20-year-old Shelton in the quarterfinals 6-2 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2, in Queens, NY.
The match was historic in that it was the first time two Black men faced off, and that Shelton's win makes him the youngest American to reach the Open semis since Andy Roddick in 2003. He'll face Novak Djokovic on Friday, Sept. 8.
Shelton beat Voorhees, NJ native Tommy Paul, 26, over the weekend.
Tiafoe, affectionately known as Big Foe, comes from a family of Sierra Lione immigrants and found tennis at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, MD, where his dad was employed as a maintenance worker.
The Tiafoes lived at JTCC for 11 years. The Tiafoe boys started playing tennis at the center as youngsters, and eventually began training free of charge, thanks to dad's progressing career.
Frances was the youngest American in the main draw of the French Open since 1989, when he was 17 years old. He turned pro in 2015, and had a Cinderella run at last year's US Open.
Shelton's background is a stark contrast: Both of his parents, Bryan and Lisa, played at high levels. Bryan Shelton ranked among the top 60 American players in the 1990s and in 1994, made it to the fourth round of Wimbledon as a qualifier, the New York Times reports.
Bryan went on to coach the Florida Gators men's team, where Ben played, leading them to their 2021 NCAA Championship win.
Ben, who hails from Atlanta, GA, is dialed in.
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