Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe won in straight sets over Andrey Rublev to become the first American man to reach the US Open semi-finals since Andy Roddick in 2006.

A self-described goofy kid with a smile always on his face away from the courts, at times it seemed like he was still learning how to play with a killer instinct. While Tiafoe celebrated by staring across at the crowd, nodding his head, Rublev covered his face with a towel and cried as the best opportunity of his career slipped away. Tiafoe’s serving reached new heights in the second set as won 100% of his first-serve points, his level rising even more as he played the tiebreak of his life, ending it with a backhand return winner. He is an incredible athlete with an effective serve and a chaotic, all-court attacking style that has become increasingly clear in his mind. But at times his forehand would let him down, he was not organised enough behind the scenes and he struggled to close out tight matches. But finally, on the biggest court of those same grounds, Tiafoe made his move to the top of the sport in his own time. Tiafoe faced a set point on his serve at 5-6, which he eradicated by laying into a forehand and then held serve. After serving well, battering his forehand and continuing to move forward, he closed off a brilliant opening tiebreak by slamming down an 130mph ace. It’s tough to turn the page, but I did and now I’m in the semis.” Tiafoe is the first American men’s semi-finalist at the US Open since Andy Roddick in 2006. Andrey Rublev and Frances Tiafoe first stared each other down as rivals on the courts of Flushing Meadows in 2014. They were both 15 years old then, Tiafoe born three months later in January 1998, and as two of the most hyped youngsters of their time they knew each other well.

The Maryland native has a chance to be the first American man to win a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick at the U.S. Open in 2003.

He is the first Black man from the United States to reach a U.S. Whether the 24-year-old wants to hear it or not, he is also the first American man to reach a U.S. And in the third set, he appeared to bite a tennis ball before burying his face in his towel to cry, red rings around his eyes turning purplish. But it wasn’t just the tiebreaker — he was pitch perfect for 2 hours 36 minutes. Tiafoe kept his celebrations simple and effective — a flex of his muscles here, asking for more crowd noise there. The Hyattsville native looked light and breezy playing under a closed roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium, particularly compared to Rublev. He swore at his box. He has big-match experience, having logged wins over Roger Federer (in 2019), Nadal (in 2021 on clay) and Novak Djokovic (this year). One of them, seventh-ranked Casper Ruud of Norway, has never won a tournament above the lowest tier on the ATP’s three-tier rating system. 11 Andrey Rublev, putting him in the first Grand Slam semifinal of his career. “To be honest — it sounds weird — I actually don’t care!” said Tiafoe, giggling on ESPN as McEnroe stammered in disbelief. Tiafoe played with two mighty emotions fueling him Wednesday in what was either the biggest or the second-biggest match of his career, depending on how Monday’s win fits into his pantheon.

Frances Tiafoe topped Russia's Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous partisan crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday.

In the women's quarterfinals Wednesday, No. Roddick also was the last man from the country to win any Grand Slam singles championship, taking the 2003 U.S. NEW YORK — Frances Tiafoe became the first American man to reach the U.S. The No. Tiafoe's first career Grand Slam semifinal will come Friday against No. Andy Roddick was the last U.S.

With the hopes of a nation resting on his shoulders, American Frances Tiafoe rose to the occasion on Wednesday by reaching his first Grand Slam semi-final ...

If he can win this tournament, he can be an inspiration for a lot of kids.” “I always tell him, If you want to be a role model, you have to win tennis matches. “Today I felt really comfortable and it showed in my performance.”

Frances Tiafoe defeats Andrey Rublev in straight sets to reach his first major semi-final. © Sarah Stier/Getty Images. ATP Staff Sep 07, 2022.

1 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, Roddick was in the stands cheering on his countryman as Tiafoe advanced to play the winner of Wednesday night’s heavyweight #NextGenATP battle between [Carlos Alcaraz](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/carlos-alcaraz/a0e2/overview) and [Jannik Sinner](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/jannik-sinner/s0ag/overview). The 22nd seed was imperious to move into a two-sets-to-one lead, with highlights including a delicate drop volley for 6/0 and a rasping backhand return winner to convert set point. Four holds of serve to love in the first five games set the tone for a second set which featured no break points as both players were incisive with their serving. Although Tiafoe was visibly keen to stay on the front foot during rallies, it was Rublev who had all three of the break point chances in the first set. [Andy Roddick](https://www.atptour.com/en/players/andy-roddick/r485/overview) advanced to the championship match. Tiafoe took control of his third tour-level meeting with Rublev by raising his game in a pair of tie-breaks to claim an opening two sets in which he did not carve out a break point opportunity.

Retired 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro was at Flushing Meadows for media commitments - much to the delight of fans and players alike.

Meanwhile in his chat with the media, Tiafoe was asked about the advice his mother Alphina gave him ahead of his fourth round against Rafael Nadal. A day after complaining that she missed out on a chance to meet him, the Tunisian world No. “I think this one will hurt for quite a while. But this year I finally got the courage to ask for one,” Bernal told Eurosport. You’ll need to watch this more than once! Although it does help ease the loss.” I’ve been a huge fan of his, when he played his last match, when he retired, that was tough for me.” He then added: “She's my No. 50 – On Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, Tiafoe became the first Black man to reach a US Open singles semi-final since Arthur Ashe 50 years ago. My mom doesn't really know much about tennis. This year, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to expand its men’s and women’s wheelchair draws to 16 players in singles and eight teams in doubles. “He was the first kind of guy to win a Slam outside of the big guys here in ’09 and my coach was talking about him when he won the Citi Open back in the day in ’08.

Tiafoe backed up a win over Rafael Nadal with a quarterfinal victory over Andrey Rublev, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4.

As Frances Tiafoe celebrated with friends and family, Bradley Beal wrapped his arms around him for a hug.

“He was trying to make his name, too. when I was a little kid coming up trying to make my name and the same with him,” Beal said. “I met him when I was in D.C.

Retired 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro was at Flushing Meadows for media commitments - much to the delight of fans and players alike.

Meanwhile in his chat with the media, Tiafoe was asked about the advice his mother Alphina gave him ahead of his fourth round against Rafael Nadal. A day after complaining that she missed out on a chance to meet him, the Tunisian world No. “I think this one will hurt for quite a while. But this year I finally got the courage to ask for one,” Bernal told Eurosport. You’ll need to watch this more than once! Although it does help ease the loss.” I’ve been a huge fan of his, when he played his last match, when he retired, that was tough for me.” He then added: “She's my No. My mom doesn't really know much about tennis. 50 – On Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, Tiafoe became the first Black man to reach a US Open singles semi-final since Arthur Ashe 50 years ago. This year, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to expand its men’s and women’s wheelchair draws to 16 players in singles and eight teams in doubles. “He was the first kind of guy to win a Slam outside of the big guys here in ’09 and my coach was talking about him when he won the Citi Open back in the day in ’08.

NEW YORK — About 20 minutes after Frances Tiafoe earned the first trip to the U.S. Open semifinals by an American man since 2006, he met up in an Arthur ...

The other key moments came at the conclusions of the first two sets; Tiafoe is 6-0 in tiebreakers at this U.S. Over and over, he gesticulated and yelled toward his guest box, where only four of the 15 seats were occupied, quite a contrast to Tiafoe’s completely full section. “I kind of imagined he would be at his best by the end of next year.” Tiafoe won 31 of 41 points when he went to the net; Rublev only ventured forward 11 times. The only break of serve came more than two hours in, when Tiafoe went ahead 4-3 in the third set, then stood mostly motionless on court, enjoying the crescendo of support. In the women’s quarterfinals Wednesday, No. As the nine-person line stood together, someone yelled, “Throw up a ‘Dub!’” so Tiafoe and others formed a “W” — as in “Win” — by joining thumbs and index fingers on both hands. Andy Roddick, who was in the Ashe stands Wednesday, was the last U.S. “I love to show the world what I can do,” said the 24-year-old Tiafoe, who is seeded 22nd at Flushing Meadows. Roddick also was the last man from the country to win any Grand Slam singles championship, taking the 2003 U.S. man to get to the semifinals in New York, losing to Roger Federer in the title match 16 years ago. Tiafoe managed the tricky task of following up the biggest win of his career, against 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, with another milestone victory, beating No.

Frances Tiafoe has been backed to 'go all the way' in the US Open by Eurosport's Alex Corretja following his straight sets victory over Andrey Rudlev to become the first male American player to reach the semi-final since Andy Roddick in 2006.

You could see the frustration in his face. He's hitting his backhand beautifully, and not just the strike itself, but the variation on the backhand side is something that I think we've been waiting for, for a while. It seems like he's having fun, and it's not that easy to have fun in such a stage of Slam where you try to reach the semi-finals. And now we know he can.” He can hit it flat, he can hit with spin, and we haven't even talked about his movement. Once again, he couldn't handle it." Also easier said than done. Easier said than done. He said: “It was an unbelievably strong effort. “We know he’s got the ability but then he's added miles per hour on the first serve. “He put in the hard yards, he was working a lot harder,” she said. “In his mind he is not happy that he just reaches the semis,” said the Eurosport expert.

Frances Tiafoe's trainer shares key exercises in Tiafoe's program before the U.S. Open, where he beat Rafael Nadal.

[win his 14th French Open championship](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/05/french-open-mens-final/) and extend his men’s record number of Grand Slam titles to 22. [third Grand Slam returns in full with big crowds, roars and a little rain](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/27/wimbledon-first-day/). [Tsurenko beat fellow Ukrainian Anhelina Kalinina](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/29/lesia-tsurenko-beats-anhelina-kalinina-wimbledon/) in the second round. 1 Iga Swiatek raced to a 6-1, 6-3 victory](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/04/french-open-womens-final/) over Coco Gauff in 68 minutes to claim her second Grand Slam. [Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff fell on a rough day](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/07/02/iga-swiatek-coco-gauff-lose-wimbledon/) for top women at the All England Club. [Serena Williams’s Wimbledon return](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/06/28/serena-williams-wimbledon-first-round-harmony-tan/) lasted just one tortuous match. And choice words and bizarre antics marked a [wacky men’s night at Wimbledon](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/07/02/stefanos-tsitsipas-nick-kyrgios-rafael-nadal-wimbledon/). [defeating Andrey Rublev](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/07/frances-tiafoe-us-open/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2) on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Two days earlier, [Tiafoe beat second-seeded Rafael Nadal](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/09/05/tiafoe-nadal-us-open/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2) in the round of 16. “The key to that drill is to throw the ball as hard as possible, and drive from that back leg and make sure you’re getting that hip through and transferring your weight and driving that ball with as much speed as possible,” Costello said. “If it’s one of the cones in the back, turning those hips real quick and pushing back, so the movements are similar to tennis, so you’re getting a little bit of quickness, foot work, agility work, but also reactionary work, too.” Bring the medicine ball to one side with your knees bent, and load from the leg closest to the ball while driving the ball with as much speed as possible into the wall, Costello said.

Rising American Frances Tiafoe danced into the middle of Arthur Ashe Stadium court and soaked up the cheers from his rapidly expanding fan base after ...

"It was my life. "I was lucky. That's why I'm out here trying pretty hard." That's obviously a goal for me. Open, the first of three major titles. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

Frances Tiafoe says he hopes to inspire a new generation of Black tennis players after moving to within two wins of becoming the first African-American man ...

"It was honestly a laughable tiebreaker. I think they will be Grand Slam champions when they have done their careers, for sure." "That's love, man," Tiafoe said later. "I love to show the world what I can do...To see how many people I can get behind me. "I really appreciate that. I mean, you end up just falling in love with it."

With two more match wins, Frances Tiafoe would end a title drought for American men at the majors that stretches back to 2003 when Andy Roddick won the Open ...

Like when I’m younger, the reason I said to my dad that I can be a professional tennis player is seeing her and Venus battle each other.” We have the most popular, the most lucrative sport.” “We’ve got a great group of guys who really enjoy each other’s company who have Twitter followers that in this day and age are admired,” Martin said of today’s American men. “I think women are the superior gender, first and foremost,” he cracked. “I think that Americans can contend for Grand Slams right now,” Fritz said in a phone interview before the Open. “It’s systemic and there’s no easy solve,” he said this week in an interview in Manhattan at an event for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. But he failed to live up to them due to a combination of physical and mental obstacles, according to his coach, Wayne Ferreira, who reached the U.S. Nadal and Djokovic alone have won 15 of the last 17. 1](https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamzagoria/2022/09/08/race-for-no-1-in-mens-tennis-rafael-nadal-carlos-alcaraz--casper-ruud-all-still-have-a-shot/?sh=36645fc43613), said in the wee hours of Thursday morning. Open semifinals since Andy Roddick in 2006 and the first black American man to do so since Arthur Ashe in 1972. The last American man to reach a major final was Roddick at Wimbledon in 2009. And why have the American men gone so long without a title while their female counterparts (even those not named Serena Williams) have continued to win major titles?

Wayne Ferreira says he had 2022 US Open sensation Frances Tiafoe, who the SA tennis legend has coached since 2020, cut down on technology and using his ...

“I’m trying to get him to do a lot more off-court running. “We have to look at his treatment as business too. “As with most young boys there are a lot of issues with the technology and the focus and attention span.

Retired 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro was at Flushing Meadows for media commitments - much to the delight of fans and players alike.

Meanwhile in his chat with the media, Tiafoe was asked about the advice his mother Alphina gave him ahead of his fourth round against Rafael Nadal. A day after complaining that she missed out on a chance to meet him, the Tunisian world No. “I think this one will hurt for quite a while. But this year I finally got the courage to ask for one,” Bernal told Eurosport. You’ll need to watch this more than once! Although it does help ease the loss.” I’ve been a huge fan of his, when he played his last match, when he retired, that was tough for me.” He then added: “She's my No. 50 – On Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday, Tiafoe became the first Black man to reach a US Open singles semi-final since Arthur Ashe 50 years ago. My mom doesn't really know much about tennis. This year, the US Open became the first Grand Slam to expand its men’s and women’s wheelchair draws to 16 players in singles and eight teams in doubles. “He was the first kind of guy to win a Slam outside of the big guys here in ’09 and my coach was talking about him when he won the Citi Open back in the day in ’08.

Just 12 months on from Emma Raducanus remarkable US Open triumph, Frances Tiafoe is writing his very own fairy-tale story having reached the semi-finals in ...

"But he has to win the Grand Slam first. [skysports.com/tennis](http://www.skysports.com/tennis), our Twitter account [@skysportstennis](https://twitter.com/SkySportsTennis) & Sky Sports - on the go! You ran into those guys, and they just said, 'See ya'." "When I came on the scene, flying up the rankings, everything was kind of good. For me to do this and talk about how I feel about being in the US Open from my come-up is crazy. "That's something he had to really change. His food intake was terrible at the beginning. "Frances has been lucky in some ways of having great help from people along the way. I was able to just get better and do my own thing. Hopefully there will be a movie about it one day. He was soon being touted as the next big thing in American tennis. That's why I'm out here trying pretty hard."

Wayne Ferreira says he made 2022 US Open sensation Frances Tiafoe, who the SA tennis legend has coached since 2020, cut down on technology and using his ...

The son of immigrants from Sierra Leone, Tiafoe is the first Black American to make the men's semifinals at the U.S. Open since Arthur Ashe did it fifty ...

When Tiafoe was eight, the coach bought him a new shirt and a new pair of shoes, and, when he was nine, drove him to his first tennis tournament, which he won. He may or may not become the guy, but he is already part of something. Tiafoe is the first Black American to make the men’s semifinals at the U.S. He has come in to net a hundred and seventy times this tournament, and won more than seventy per cent of those points. (Rublev came to net eleven times, and won four.) He is irrepressible, fast, powerful, and charismatic, which is the way the game goes now. “When I came on the scene, flying up the rankings, everything was kind of good,” he said after the match against Rublev. Then, on Rublev’s serve, he hit a looping return, and followed it to the net, where he sliced a diving drop volley. The goal had been a college scholarship; instead, when Tiafoe was nineteen, he was pushing Roger Federer to five sets at the U.S. He jammed Rublev with a serve down the middle on the first point, then pulled him off the court with a backhand at a daring angle to win the second. [Novak Djokovic](https://www.newyorker.com/tag/novak-djokovic) was absent, unable to enter the country because of his refusal to get a COVID vaccine; [Roger Federer](https://www.newyorker.com/tag/roger-federer) has not played since Wimbledon last year. For the third, he rushed to the net, and flicked a casual half volley that Rublev could only push wide. [Rafael Nadal](https://www.newyorker.com/tag/rafael-nadal), now in his mid-thirties, was recovering from an injury to an abdominal muscle, not to mention a foot injury that had nearly forced him to retire from the sport.

Frances Tiafoe will play Carlos Alcaraz in the US Open semi-finals. Learn about the American's journey, his relationship with University of Maryland ...

One is a “locked in” bracelet from the University of Maryland’s football programme. “If you want to be a champion, sometimes you have to make sacrifices and I think over the last couple of years he’s embraced the sacrifices it takes and the discipline it takes to win at a high level, especially at that level.” To work on your game each and every practice you have to be the best version of yourself,” Locksley said. “He liked a lot of candy and chocolates and cookies. But the 24-year-old is now seeing the fruits of his labour in New York. “One of the things we talked about is if you want to be a consistent winner, you’ve got to develop that killer instinct and develop a championship routine. It was there that Tiafoe picked up the game and now he is competing on the biggest stages in the world. The American is the son of two immigrants from Sierra Leone and his father was a janitor at a tennis facility in Maryland. To know his story and what he’s overcome to get to where he is, that is what drew me [to him],” Locksley said. “He has a personality that makes everyone seem as though it’s not the first time they’ve met. Locksley had first met Tiafoe when he was a young teen — Tiafoe is a fixture on the sporting scene in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, otherwise known as the ‘DMV’. In 2019, Michael Locksley became the head coach of the football team at the University of Maryland.

Frances Tiafoe calls his run to the U.S. Open semifinals 'a Cinderella story.

“I always tell him, ‘If you want to be a role model, you have to win tennis matches.’ ... “I don’t know if you can ever truly know what type of impact you’re having on the next generation until maybe years later, when someone says, ‘Hey, I started playing tennis because I remember watching you at Wimbledon,’” said Washington, whose youth foundation in Jacksonville, Florida, offers after-school and summer programs. Martin Blackman, head of the U.S. And obviously we’ve had amazing American champions on the men’s side, from Pete and Andre to Andy. “That has not happened on the men’s side in years.” Open to have male and female champions from the U.S. Open about the influence she and her sister, Venus, had on their careers. “American men’s tennis has been struggling for a couple of decades. Open semifinals, in 1972, and the person for whom the event’s main stadium is named — and, before that, Don Budge and Bill Tilden. 3 Carlos Alcaraz](https://apnews.com/article/us-open-tennis-championships-sports-new-york-jannik-sinner-49a9b96ec94a29b6deaae56dc2b54c4e) of Spain with a berth in the final at stake — is about so much more, too. He has a shot at giving the country its first male champion at any Slam since Roddick in New York, 19 years ago. [Frances Tiafoe’s run to the U.S.