The U.S. Open is well underway, and there have already been great moments. Namely, Naomi Osaka's bold fashion on the court. But there's one viral video circulating from the quarterfinals, which took place yesterday, and it ended in literal tears (and great sportsmanship).
Stunning Viral Video Shows American Tennis Player Weeping After Loss at U.S. Open
What followed was sportsmanship at its finest
Published Sep 9, 2026
•5:08pm
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Americans Frances Tiafoe and Alex Michelsen went head-to-head, battling it out for a spot in the semifinals. Michelsen was in the lead, having won the first two sets, but Tiafoe rallied, bringing the final scores to 5-7, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (10-6).
The video shows Tiafoe celebrating before looping back to the net to give Michelsen a hug.
"I just wanted to come up there and just dap him up," ESPN reported him saying. "I didn't think it was going to be as long as it was, but I understand the moment. He was definitely crying on my shoulders. Yeah, we just had some words for each other, and that was it."
As for Michelsen, he also commented: "I was trying to keep it together and I didn't do a good job of that." The 22-year-old shared that Tiafoe consoled him, saying, "You'll be there. When I'm older, you're going to be here, and we're going to play it again in this type of circumstance."
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The unexpected moment immediately had the internet buzzing.
"After the wildest comeback I've ever seen...Tiafoe immediately goes to console his friend," one fan commented.
"Fantastic job Tiafoe, and so many lessons a person can take away from this, including being such a great friend, mentor and sharing all you’ve been through to understand the pain Michelson was experiencing," another wrote.
This isn't the first time the players have faced off; Tiafoe and Michelsen have previously played each other twice; Tiafoe emerged the victor in both games. As the winner of the quarterfinals, Tiafoe advances to the semis and will play American Ben Shelton next at Arthur Ashe stadium on Friday.
