Watch ‘Big Foe’ in action at the 2024 US Open in just a few hours from now! Grab a bucket full of popcorn to watch this intriguing all-American clash featuring Frances Tiafoe and Aleksandar Kovacevic. Tiafoe has been in red-hot form in the last few weeks. Can he start his campaign on a winning note against his compatriot? 

Frances Tiafoe vs Aleksandar Kovacevic: Preview

Tiafoe is entering this major event after an incredible performance in Cincinnati. He reached the final of the 2024 Cincinnati Masters but was defeated by Jannik Sinner in that match by 6(4)-7,2-6. So far in this season, Frances Tiafoe has made quite a few long runs in his previous tournaments. This was his second final of the 2024 season, previously he made it through to the finals in Houston, but even then he had to come back home empty-handed.

Aleksandar Kovacevic, on the other hand, has struggled a bit this season. His best record was reaching the QF of the Los Cabos Open and Hall of Fame Tennis Championships. He was defeated by Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime in the R64 of the Cincinnati Masters by 3-6,1-6. Now, it’ll be interesting to see if he can come up with a better challenge in front of his home crowd.

Tiafoe vs Kovacevic: Head-to-Head

Well, both Tiafoe and Kovacevic have played against each other only once in their careers so far. Frances Tiafoe had the edge at that time, but the New York-based tennis star showcased a fair bit of resilience in that match.

• 2024 Citi Open R16: Tiafoe 7-6(3),4-6,6-3

Prediction: Tiafoe to win in three sets

Frances Tiafoe is currently leading in all departments compared to Aleksandar Kovacevic. For example, he is currently ranked 20th in the world, whereas Kovacevic is ranked 76th. Even if we look at their win-loss record, Tiafoe (24-20) has a clear edge over Kovacevic (9-18). Apart from all these stats, we must not forget that Tiafoe reached the SF of the US Open in 2022. So, he obviously has a better experience on this surface.

Now, the question will be, how long can Kovacevic stop Tiafoe from playing his natural game? Frances Tiafoe’s current form will boost his confidence a lot, however, he needs to keep an eye on Kovacevic’s incredible forehand and his powerful serves. He has the potential to frustrate Tiafoe with his consistency. So, we can expect some nervy moments in the match, but if we talk about the scoreline, then currently we’re seeing Tiafoe coming up with a dominating performance.

His aggressive offensive game, along with his big serving abilities, maybe a bit tough to handle for the 25-year-old. Tiafoe has 352 aces so far this season. However, this American tennis star can also topple his opponents with his unusual forehands. His forehand shots come up with heavy topspin and are driven by an unusual arm motion. So, considering all these factors, there is only one name that comes to our mind while predicting the scoreline. ‘Big Foe’!