Frances Tiafoe has been on a curler coaster trip since final summer time, however issues appear to be clicking for the American tennis star forward of the 2024 US Open. Tiafoe is recent off the most effective match of his profession with an look within the ultimate of the Cincinnati Open.
Regardless of not having the ability to take down World No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Monday, taking part in in his first ATP Masters 1000 ultimate was a confidence booster.
“I feel every part was falling into the best place,” Tiafoe informed CBS Sports activities. “I used to be in a extremely good place mentally, having extra enjoyable taking part in tennis. I really feel like I received my swagger again usually. Enjoying aggressive and in the end believing in myself.”
Final yr, Tiafoe reached the semifinals at Indian Wells in March. Two months later, he earned a ticket to the third spherical of the French Open. Tiafoe achieved the very best rating of his profession at No. 10 in June 2023. That July, he launched the Frances Tiafoe Fund and achieved “a really significant private achievement” by starting a series of community tennis clinics throughout the nation with the assistance of a partnership with Cliff Bar.
Life felt nice, however on the court docket issues turned inconsistent in a short time. After holding on to his No. 10 rating for 9 weeks, Tiafoe began slipping and located himself exterior of the highest 20 in March 2024.
“I used to be No. 10 on the earth taking part in actually, rather well. Successful loads of matches,” he stated. “I had the world in my fingertips after which let go of the rope a bit of bit.”
Tiafoe parted methods with coach Wayne Ferreira in December and reunited with former USTA coach Diego Moyano. As of July, he’s now with David Witt, who has labored with Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula. That’s positively quite a bit to adjustments in a brief period of time, however Tiafoe stated the most important change for him has been his psychological strategy.
In Cincinnati, he discovered himself down 2-5 within the third set of the semifinal towards world No. 15 Holger Rune. His aim has been to be a “powerful out” towards any opponent, and that persistence helped him pressure a tiebreak and finally win the match 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).
“Having gratitude, being extra grateful,” Tiafoe stated. “I feel I had much more hesitation and was questioning myself. It is not actual. It is form of what you set in your head. It simply turned not enjoyable as a result of I used to be taking part in nervous and tight.
“I loosened up and now it is ‘no matter occurs, occurs.’ I am grateful, win or lose. Mindset is every part.”
As he enters the final Grand Slam of the season, Tiafoe is trying to do one thing he has by no means performed earlier than: win his first Main trophy. Confidence can be key, and proper now he’s feeling good about the place he’s at whereas additionally ensuring to take issues someday at a time.
“I’d positively prefer to win it, I feel I’ve the power to,” he stated. “Firstly, you need to put your self in that second week… However why not? Why not be holding that trophy?”
Tiafoe has been near that aim earlier than, and his finest Grand Slam run really occurred on the US Open in 2022 when he made the semifinals.
“You could have every week like [the Cincinnati Open] and abruptly you are again in it,” Tiafoe stated. “You are feeling like, ‘I’m who I stated I’m’ as soon as once more. Tennis is up and down like that, however it’s about managing the lows. That low was quite a bit longer than I needed it to be however issues began to click on proper on the good time. I am prepared now to start out taking part in a few of the finest tennis of my profession.”
The Cincinnati Open positively set the stage for what might be an thrilling match in New York. World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz — the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion — performed what he described as “the worst match” of his profession and misplaced to Gaël Monfils within the spherical of 32. World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev additionally struggled in that very same spherical and misplaced to Jiri Lehecka in straight units.
Upsets aren’t enjoyable for many who discover themselves on the unsuitable aspect, however they definitely make issues extra attention-grabbing.
“Tennis might be the most effective it has been,” Tiafoe stated. “You bought [Alexander] Zverev, Medvedev, Sinner — very, very powerful. I feel Alcaraz and [Novak] Djokovic are nonetheless a degree above, however any given day they will lose, particularly to any of those guys, myself included. I feel it is cool in that sense… The game can also be getting actually stylish, there may be loads of power round it.”
The US Open will get underway on Aug. 26 on the USTA Billie Jean King Nationwide Tennis Middle in Queens, New York.
