Frances Tiafoe ready for challenge at US Open after success in Cincinnati: ‘Why not be holding that trophy?’

Frances Tiafoe has been on a roller coaster ride since last summer, but things seem to be clicking for the American tennis star ahead of the 2024 US Open. Tiafoe is fresh off the best tournament of his career with an appearance in the final of the Cincinnati Open.

Despite not being able to take down World No. 1 Jannik Sinner on Monday, playing in his first ATP Masters 1000 final was a confidence booster.

“I think everything was falling into the right place,” Tiafoe told CBS Sports. “I was in a really good place mentally, having more fun playing tennis. I feel like I got my swagger back in general. Playing aggressive and ultimately believing in myself.”

Last year, Tiafoe reached the semifinals at Indian Wells in March. Two months later, he earned a ticket to the third round of the French Open. Tiafoe achieved the highest ranking of his career at No. 10 in June 2023. That July, he launched the Frances Tiafoe Fund and accomplished “a very meaningful personal achievement” by starting a series of community tennis clinics across the country with the help of a partnership with Cliff Bar.

Life felt great, but on the court things became inconsistent very quickly. After holding on to his No. 10 ranking for nine weeks, Tiafoe started slipping and found himself outside of the top 20 in March 2024. 

“I was No. 10 in the world playing really, really well. Winning a lot of matches,” he said. “I had the world in my fingertips and then let go of the rope a little bit.”

Tiafoe parted ways with coach Wayne Ferreira in December and reunited with former USTA coach Diego Moyano. As of July, he is now with David Witt, who has worked with Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula. That is definitely a lot to changes in a short amount of time, but Tiafoe said the biggest change for him has been his mental approach. 

In Cincinnati, he found himself down 2-5 in the third set of the semifinal against world No. 15 Holger Rune. His goal has been to be a “tough out” against any opponent, and that persistence helped him force a tiebreak and eventually win the match 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4).

“Having gratitude, being more grateful,” Tiafoe said. “I think I had a lot more hesitation and was questioning myself. It’s not real. It’s kind of what you put in your head. It just became not fun because I was playing nervous and tight.

“I loosened up and now it’s ‘whatever happens, happens.’ I’m grateful, win or lose. Mindset is everything.”

As he enters the last Grand Slam of the season, Tiafoe is looking to do something he has never done before: win his first Major trophy. Confidence will be key, and right now he is feeling good about where he is at while also making sure to take things one day at a time.

“I would definitely like to win it, I think I have the ability to,” he said. “First and foremost, you want to put yourself in that second week… But why not? Why not be holding that trophy?”

Tiafoe has been close to that goal before, and his best Grand Slam run actually happened at the US Open in 2022 when he made the semifinals.

“You have a week like [the Cincinnati Open] and all of a sudden you’re back in it,” Tiafoe said. “You feel like, ‘I am who I said I am’ once again. Tennis is up and down like that, but it’s about managing the lows. That low was a lot longer than I wanted it to be but things started to click right at the perfect time. I’m ready now to start playing some of the best tennis of my career.”

The Cincinnati Open definitely set the stage for what could be an exciting tournament in New York. World No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz — the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion — played what he described as “the worst match” of his career and lost to Gaël Monfils in the round of 32. World No. 5 Daniil Medvedev also struggled in that same round and lost to Jiri Lehecka in straight sets.

Upsets are not fun for those who find themselves on the wrong side, but they certainly make things more interesting. 

“Tennis is probably the best it has been,” Tiafoe said. “You got [Alexander] Zverev, Medvedev, Sinner — very, very tough. I think Alcaraz and [Novak] Djokovic are still a level above, but any given day they can lose, especially to any of these guys, myself included. I think it’s cool in that sense… The sport is also getting really trendy, there is a lot of energy around it.”

The US Open will get underway on Aug. 26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.