“Threw Up All”—Confused Frances Tiafoe Left Searching for Answers After Puking Incident at Australian Open 2025

A display of sheer resilience! “If it was any other, probably, event, I probably would have let it go. But here, you got to lay it all on the line,” Frances Tiafoe displayed remarkable grit as he overcame illness to clinch a hard-fought five-set victory over France’s Arthur Rinderknech. It was really a grueling 4-hour and 8-minute contest for this American. Tiafoe was leading 6-5 in the fourth set of the match against the Frenchman when he threw up at the edge of the court. What really went wrong with him, though?

During his post-match press conference, Frances Tiafoe spoke about what really happened to him at that time. Was it due to the heat? “Not really the heat man. I was probably overly hydrated, mixing a lot of electrolytes. I mean, it’s 11 o’clock. We played for four hours … all of lunch we were playing through it, we ate at 10 o’clock,” said the American. What did he eat for lunch, though? 

Well in reply to this, France Tiafoe revealed that he ate, “Rice and chicken I brought from last night, I didn’t really know if the restaurant was going to be open. I threw up all electrolytes and water, so it wasn’t a food-type issue. Neither was the heat, really.” As soon as this moment went viral on social media, we saw quite a few interesting posts surrounding the same. For example, a few fans drew a comparison of Frances Tiafoe’s momentary physical weakness with Michael Jordan’s iconic ‘flu game.’

In Game 5 of the 1997 Finals, flu-stricken Chicago Bulls star, Michale Jordan pushed against all odds to win the game against Utah Jazz. As per several reports, he had food poisoning during that time. Later on, Jordan described the experience as “probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever done.” Although, Tiafoe claimed it had nothing to do with the food in his case, however, his love for basketball perhaps might have yet again drawn him into this strange comparison. Highlighting all of these in that same press conference, he said, “Look, man, things happen. It’s been funny all the things I’ve been getting tagged with since then.“

Frances Tiafoe said that he felt a bit tired and had some abdominal cramps during that time, but he’s now happy to see to seal the victory in this hard-fought battle. What did he say about his win, though?

“That’s a big win” – Frances Tiafoe’s reaction after winning the hard-fought battle in the first round of the 2025 AO

This was Frances Tiafoe’s second meeting with Arthur Rinderknech. The duo had previously crossed paths in Lyon last year, but the Frenchman had the last laugh at that time. So, after getting his revenge on the Frenchman, Frances Tiafoe said, “That’s a big win, that’s a huge win. (From) feeling good and out of nowhere, feeling horrible and finding a way to win. That’s massive.“

After the match, Frances Tiafoe also spoke about how his coach David Witt helped him from the sidelines to pocket the fifth and deciding set. For those who are unaware, Witt teamed up with Tiafoe in April 2024. Shortly after bringing in this vastly experienced coach to his team, Tiafoe said that David Witt was the “perfect guy” for the job given their longstanding friendship. Now, after his recent match, we saw him sharing a glimpse of their incredible chemistry.

Speaking on Witt’s advice during his match against Rinderknech, Tiafoe said, “(He told me to) Stay in the present. Serve one game at a time. Don’t think about the sixth about the game, think about the point ahead of you.” Next up for Hungary’s Fabian Marozsan! How does Frances Tiafoe plan his recovery after this grueling battle in the first round?

“A lot of ice baths, eat well, and sleep a lot. I’m going to be super sore tomorrow, but two days off is huge. I usually like that at the back end of it, but right now I’ll take it,” revealed the American. Previously, we’ve seen tennis legends like Laura Robson showcasing some optimism surrounding Frances Tiafoe’s chances in 2025. Now, the question is: Can Tiafoe live up to those expectations and make a longer stay in Melbourne?