US Open 2022: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Frances Tiafoe Tennis Pick and Prediction

TennisSection previews the 2022 US Open as Carlos Alcaraz takes on Frances Tiafoe in the semifinals on Friday, September 9th, 2022.

Will Carlos Alcaraz make history and have a shot at becoming the youngest ever no.1? Will Frances Tiafoe do the unthinkable and become the first American major finalist since 2009? This will be a fascinating one, where we have an encounter of talented shotmakers promising one brutal contest. Who will triumph and move through to the finals at the 2022 US Open?

Carlos Alcaraz took down Jannik Sinner in the best match of the season by far, needing 5 hours and 15 minutes to see off a matchpoint and win it all 6-3 6-7 6-7 7-5 6-3. It was an unbelievable encounter, and with that kind of level, Alcaraz is surely going to have a lot of confidence going forward as he comes up against Frances Tiafoe in the last four. If he wants to win, he’s going to have to do what he’s kept on doing. With how aggressive he is, I think Tiafoe is going to make a decent bit of unforced errors and unlike his previous opponents, Alcaraz will pounce on that. Let’s see if the young Spaniard can make history and book a spot in the final of the 2022 US Open.

Frances Tiafoe took down Andrey Rublev in straight sets 7-6 7-6 6-4, while it was a relatively uneventful match, the scoreline will tell you how close each set was. Both players served really well, and I expect Tiafoe to only bring more heat the further he goes, but it’s going to be a really tough task to hold his nerve throughout against Carlos Alcaraz. If he can serve some bombs, I think he can really make this one competitive as he looks to somehow make his first major final at the 2022 US Open.

Carlos Alcaraz and Frances Tiafoe have met once before, with Frances Tiafoe leading the head to head 1-0. Their first meeting came in 2021 in Barcelona, although it’s hardly a notable win as Alcaraz wasn’t anywhere close to as good as he is right now, Tiafoe can take some comfort in the fact that he knows how to play him. Tiafoe will have to serve massively and rush the net, and although Alcaraz is an incredible defender, Tiafoe will have to try and close out his opportunities. Ultimately though, I can’t see any other outcome outside of Alcaraz reaching his very first major final at the 2022 US Open.