Jannik Sinner has finally done it—securing a massive win at the Cincinnati Open finals and showing the world why he’s the World No. 1. After a period of struggling to maintain his momentum, Sinner’s performance was nothing short of dominant as he took on Frances Tiafoe, leaving little room for doubt about his form. But the match didn’t just end with Sinner’s victory. Tiafoe, never one to miss an opportunity for a bit of humor, couldn’t help but make a playful request after the match, adding a light-hearted twist to an intense showdown. 

The in-form American star was left baffled on Sunday during his match against the Italian dynamo. While he managed to pose some challenges in the first set despite losing it 7-6(4), he was completely dominated over in the second set. Tiafoe lost the second set 6-2, with Sinner leaving no room for his comeback. This defeat made Tiafoe make a special request to the Italian sensation ahead of the US Open. 

Speaking during the on-court interview, Tiafoe demonstrated sportsmanship and congratulated his opponent for the victory. “I guess I gotta congratulate Jannik man 😂. Congrats for everything you’ve been doing.. Getting to #1 in the world. And pretty much never losing ever. Keep going.” The victory was quite necessary for Sinner. The Italian dynamo, who became the World No.1 in June this year, suffered major setbacks lately. He failed to participate in the Paris Olympics following tonsillitis and high fever. Besides, in the Canadian Open, he lost in the quarterfinals to Andrey Rublev. But with this victory, he seems to be instilling fear amongst his opponents.

Continuing further, Tiafoe said, “all the best in New York. If we play, don’t beat me in New York.” Interestingly, Tiafoe has witnessed more success than Sinner on the hard courts of Flushing Meadows. The American star player has advanced to bigger stages of the tournament as compared to Sinner. Tiafoe reached the semifinals in 2022, which so far is his biggest achievement. On the contrary, Sinner’s highest feat is reaching the quarterfinals in the same year as Tiafoe. 

However, Sinner’s better head-to-head tally which he leads 4-1 against Tiafoe is promising enough. He might become a crucial contender against the 26-year-old if both meet at the US Open. But despite the challenges, the American is poised to win bigger and is shutting off critics in style.

Frances Tiafoe’s powerful message speaks volumes about his US Open preparedness 

Frances’ latest run at Cincinnati has proven his mettle on the hard courts. Going into the Cincinnati Masters, not many gave Frances Tiafoe a chance, especially with the likes of fellow Americans Ben Shelton and Tommy Paul playing. However, Tiafoe demonstrated tremendous skills and determination and defied all odds. What followed was a powerful message to shut the critics up. 

Following Tiafoe’s victory against Holger Rune in the semi-finals, his girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield shared an interesting picture. Taking to her official Instagram handle to share the American star’s powerful message to his critics after making it to the summit clash. Broomfield shared a glimpse of the camera, on which Tiafoe wrote, “Why not me.” This signified the fire in his belly to emerge as one of the top names from his country and become a major contender at the US Open. 

With the US Open just around the corner, it seems that Tiafoe is keeping his spirits high. Whether he will get his wish or not will only be revealed with time but remains certain is the determination of the star player