Behind every ace and every victory lies a tale of trials and tribulations. For Frances Tiafoe, the woes began after the 2023 US Open QF defeat to Ben Shelton. “I’m more on the frustrated side,” said Tiafoe after the match. As the loss left him reeling, it took him nearly a year to re-establish his footing on the court. Now, the 2024 US Open quarterfinalist is making waves in the Laver Cup. But what fueled his journey from struggles to success?

Frances Tiafoe started the 2023 season on a strong note, occupying the No. 15 position after the Australian Open. Following a successful US Men’s Clay Court Championship and a victory in the Stuttgart Open, Big Foe made it into the top 10 players in June. However, things started to look grim after his US Open defeat, and he failed to reach a semifinal match in any event following his defeat in New York. As the 2024 season began, he had to endure a period of complacency, failing to go beyond the semifinals in various tournaments. Although he reached the ATP Houston finals, his same on-court rival, Shelton, denied him a victory.

More disappointment followed, with the American’s consecutive opening-round defeats in the next three events. However, after a Citi Open semifinal entry, Tiafoe’s graph began to improve, particularly at the Cincinnati Masters, where he made his second final-round appearance of the season. We also saw his incredible prowess in the US Open semifinals. Speaking about the challenging phase and how he overcame it, Tiafoe, who has now advanced past the first round of singles in the Laver Cup after defeating Daniil Medvedev, revealed his insights on the matter in a press-conference when an interviewer asked him to “pinpoint the reason” behind how it clicked in Cincinnati. “There are ebbs and flows with everything and everyone. I was always the guy that was looked at, you know, really talented and had good chances to do some special things,” he began saying.

“I am top 10 in the world, a lot of things kind of going the right way; you know, have a tough loss, and like last year the US Open then, it was like a little scene of guard, like who’s really the guy. Didn’t handle that loss that well and then didn’t really feel like playing the rest of the year. I took the rest of the year for granted, kind of half-assing it,” said Tiafoe, who changed his coach and now trains with David Witt, further stating that he does not ‘regret’ those moments. Instead, it makes him appreciate his victories even more. “I think the biggest thing is just don’t take the game for granted. Don’t take playing at a high level for granted.”

Tiafoe insisted that he is now focusing on having ‘fun’ while playing tennis, a sport that he loves, and that too for free (as the Laver Cup does not offer ranking points). Frances Tiafoe concluded by adding, “I have a huge level of gratitude to the game and respect for the game at the moment, so it’s all kind of coming together.” Tiafoe’s statements after the 2024 Laver Cup’s opening (singles) round also highlighted how he has finally regained his confidence!

“I just started having fun,” said Frances Tiafoe after his Laver Cup match!

In a thrilling encounter with Medvedev, Frances Tiafoe brought his ‘A’ game into action in Berlin, defeating his opponent 3-6, 6-4, 10-5! Tiafoe, representing Team World, gave his team an impressive 4-2 lead over Team Europe before his teammate, Shelton, faced a loss against Carlos Alcaraz. However, the World No. 16 emphasized how he played while having ‘fun’ on-court. “Honestly, I just started having fun. Laughing with my team, laughing with my team over there and here. Just having a bit of fun and started really finding my rhythm.” 

Furthermore, the 26-year-old player added, “The courts are obviously much slower than I’m used to playing on, so it’s tough playing Daniil on this court. But after the second set, midway into the second and in the tiebreak, I felt like I was Roger Federer, honestly.” Interestingly, Roger Federer was in the crowd, gave a double thumbs up after hearing Tiafoe’s comments from an interviewer.

Frances Tiafoe further added that he has “more confidence” in himself now. Now, the tennis world is waiting to watch his next move as he performs some of his best tennis on-court!