cnn
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Even before a ball was hit at this year's US Open, many would have predicted three of the four semifinalists in the men's draw.
Novak Djokovic, Carlos Alcaraz and Daniil Medvedev have all been at this stage before. All have won at least one Grand Slam and the trio occupy the top three positions in the world.
Then there's American hopeful Ben Shelton. In truth, not many would have predicted the 20-year-old would make it this far in New York, but his place in the semi-finals was no fluke.
With his powerful serve and powerful groundstrokes, the World No. 47 has certainly shown his potential to be among the sport's elite, but he will have to find new levels to book his place in the final.
Djokovic and Shelton kick off play at Arthur Ashe Stadium at 3 pm ET on Friday, and then Medvedev faces Alcaraz.
US viewers can watch all the action on ESPN, while Sky Sports will broadcast the matches in the UK.
After beating compatriot Frances Tiafoe in the final round, Shelton tied with arguably the greatest player to ever play the sport, Djokovic.
The Serbian is looking to win his fourth US Open title and his 24th Grand Slam overall. Once again, he has been in superior form in the tournament and will likely test Shelton like they have never tested him before when they meet for the first time.
However, with the home crowd behind him, Shelton hopes to surprise some people in Friday's semifinal.
“I think whenever you play someone for the first time and someone who's been in this situation so many times and come out victorious so many times, that's in the back of your head,” Shelton admitted.
“I also think it's an advantage with my style of play to play against someone who has never played with me before.
“I think I can bring some things to the table that you might not see in your normal game.”
Shelton has enjoyed a pretty remarkable 12 months since making his Grand Slam debut at last year's US Open, where he lost in the first round.
He broke into the world top 100 that same year without ever playing outside the US, before kicking off his 2023 with a run to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open.
Coached by his father, the youngster has only continued to improve and is now the youngest American to reach a singles semifinal since 1992.
“I think the mental thing has improved more than the physical thing,” Shelton told reporters, speaking of his development.
“There are many times today where I could have gone to my box and said, 'Guys, I'm cooked.' I'm tired. I don't know if I can go more.'
“Instead, I told myself, 'I'm fine and he's fine too.' I think being able to turn your head around is more than half the battle.”
Djokovic, playing in his 47th Grand Slam semi-final, will be the favorite to advance on Friday, but he will certainly have to work for it.
The carefree Shelton, who is 16 years younger than his opponent, has nothing to lose and will therefore have license to take it to Djokovic.
With the “brutal” heat already testing players at this stage of the tournament, veteran Djokovic knows he needs to plan a battle.
“I have to have a different approach than 10 years ago,” he told reporters about adapting his game at 36 years old.
“I am a father of two children, there are many things happening off the court that are obviously part of my life and that affect me in one way or another, my mental state, my emotional state.
“I need to know how to handle all of these things and create a formula that works. So far, so good.”
In the other semi-final, world No. 1 Alcaraz will face Russian third seed Medvedev.
The pair have won the last two US Open titles between them, Alcaraz last year and Medvedev in 2021, and both have looked good over the past two weeks.
Spaniard Alcaraz will have the added pressure of being the reigning champion, but it is something he has had to quickly get used to over the last 12 months.
His victory at Flushing Meadows in 2022 announced the Spaniard as a global superstar and he has gone from contender to favorite in almost every tournament he plays.
“Last year I was facing my first Grand Slam semi-final. Now I face the fourth,” Alcaraz told reporters.
“I feel like I'm a totally different player. I feel like I'm more mature. “I deal better with pressure.”
Medvedev, meanwhile, has been around much longer, but he's also riding a wave of momentum in recent weeks.
After a disappointing third-round exit at the Australian Open, the 27-year-old has improved his form and has won five titles so far in 2023.
Despite battling extreme heat during his semi-final battle with Andrey Rublev, Medvedev is putting in some impressive performances and appears to be a very real threat to Alcaraz.
“That's tennis. “I think that's how it can be sometimes in life, a lot of things can happen and you can feel disappointed,” Medvedev told reporters.
“Then the next day is a new day and something good can happen.”
