Tennis Today – Matches on September 11, 2026
For Alexander Zverev, the crucial phase of his quest for a “second Grand Slam title” begins this evening. As for me, I’ll give you a broad overview today of the two semifinal matchups in the men’s singles tournament.
Tennis Tips Today – September 11, 2026: The semifinals are on the schedule!
My US Open tips today are the last ones before the two final matches this weekend. In the women’s draw, we already know that it’s going to be a tough match between Rybakina and Sabalenka.
In the men’s draw, a dream final is also on the horizon. Because if I’m right with the tennis bets I’ve listed for you below, we’ll be treated to Zverev vs. Shelton on Sunday.
US Open Picks for Today, September 11: Zverev vs. Khachanov (9:00 p.m.)
To be honest, I’m massively surprised that Karen Khachanov is in the semifinals here. The Russian only advanced to the quarterfinals because Alexander Blockx withdrew due to injury.
Before that, he put up a tremendous fight against Learner Tien—which was absolutely impressive—but the American simply doesn’t possess the German’s uncompromising serve, which churns out free points nonstop.
At Arthur Ashe Stadium, Khachanov now faces a whole different level of competition. Everything Khachanov has to offer on this fast Laykold hard court, Sascha simply executes at a much higher level.
Khachanov thrives on his powerful forehand and serve—but Zverev’s serve is simply the much more reliable weapon with which he can extricate himself from tight spots at any time.
Zverev dominates the flat backhand rallies at will and will immediately attack Khachanov’s second serve. As soon as the German picks up the pace from the baseline, the Russian will run out of steam.
My pick: Zverev dominates the Russian again!
US Open betting tonight: Tiafoe – Shelton (2:00 a.m.)
The fact that Ben Shelton is here in the semifinals comes as a surprise to many, as he was completely underestimated for a long time—simply because almost the entire tennis world reflexively focuses on Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Yet the 23-year-old American has improved immensely. He proved this impressively when he defeated Alcaraz in the quarterfinals in a highly intense five-set thriller, demonstrating that he can hold his own against even the absolute best on the tour.
I simply see more quality on the court from Shelton than from Frances Tiafoe. On the fast Laykold hard court, Shelton brings his powerful serve, which has gained a lot of speed over the past year!
But his serve isn’t his only weapon: Shelton is now significantly more explosive on his forehand and dictates the action, while Tiafoe tends to become passive under defensive pressure.
Although Tiafoe was able to beat his young compatriot at last year’s US Open, Shelton celebrated a 2-0 victory in sets in Washington at the end of July, winning an incredible 90% of the points on his first serve…
My prediction: Shelton is now ready to win a Grand Slam!
