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Frances Tiafoe advances to US Open semifinals after defeating Alex Michelson

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 10, 2026, 6:31 PM

Last updated Sep 10, 2026

Frances Tiafoe advances to US Open semifinals after defeating Alex Michelson

Summary

Frances Tiafoe secured a spot in the US Open semifinals following a five-set victory against Alex Michelson. The match outcome sparked public discussion after Joe Scarborough and Mike Barnacle discussed the athlete's family background during a Morning Joe segment. The commentary drew criticism for attempting to link the professional tennis success to national immigration policy and statements made by Donald Trump. While the Morning Joe participants cited the match as an example of the American dream, the conversation received pushback for conflating the backgrounds of legal citizens with broader political debates. Tiafoe, who was born in Maryland to parents from Sierra Leone, continues his tournament run in the upcoming semifinal round.

Source Links

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By the Numbers

•Frances Tiafoe advanced to the US Open semifinals after a five-set match against Alex Michelson.
•The match resulted in media commentary regarding the immigration status of the athlete's family.
•Frances Tiafoe is a natural-born American citizen from Maryland.
•The segment on Morning Joe involved Joe Scarborough and Mike Barnacle discussing the tennis result.

Latest Updates

6:31 PMYahoo Sports — Joe Scarborough and Company Double-Fault In Attempting to Politicize a Tennis Success Story

What they're saying

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The mind of Joe Scarborough is just thoroughly corrupted by politics, and he displayed it in a Morning Joe segment covering the US Open Tennis tournament.
— Yahoo Sports

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