The adage “home sweet home” rings especially true for American tennis players. Jessica Pegula, fresh off defending her Canadian Open title, epitomizes this. Her compatriot, Frances Tiafoe, has faced challenges this season, including injury and Olympic absence. Yet, both have proven their mettle on home soil, demonstrating a unique ability to rise to the occasion.

A compelling trend has emerged in tennis: certain players excel on the biggest stages. As Bastien Fachan pointed out, since 2022, at least one American has reached the semifinals of every Grand Slam and 1000-level event held in the United States. The remarkable trend began at the 2022 Indian Wells Masters.

There, Taylor Fritz not only reached the semis, but also won the title as well. However, as Madison Keys, Coco Gauff, Ben Shelton, Danielle Collins, and Tommy Paul followed in, two more names on that list have shown the same momentum: Pegula and Tiafoe! If we break it down a little, it goes back to when Pegula had a fierce showdown in the 2022 Miami Open against Iga Swiatek.

The American player had to step back as Swiatek dominated the court in Miami, but in the grand scheme of things, it marked the beginning of her powerful performances in the semis on domestic soil. Besides, Tiafoe doubled down in the U.S. Open in the same year, where he put up a stunning five-set match against the current world no. 3, Carlos Alcaraz. That momentum continued in 2023, with Tiafoe setting the stage for the year as he battled against Daniil Medvedev at the Indian Wells Semis. 

Pegula quickly followed the same path as she did in 2022 by repeating her Miami Open feat! But this time it was Elena Rybakina who defeated her. Interestingly, 2024 has maintained the same trend, with Pegula reaching the semifinals of the Cincinnati Open after a clash against Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals. Her next target is Paula Badosa, whom she has previously defeated two times! On the other side, Tiafoe’s semifinal entry in Cincinnati further solidified his reputation as a home soil specialist!

This entire scenario points out the possibility for both Pegula and Tiafoe to continue with the same pattern in the upcoming U.S. Open as well. This, in turn, will make the American fans hopeful of them bringing the trophy home once again after Gauff’s victory last year! However, currently, Tiafoe is gearing up for a face-off against Holger Rune. 

Frances Tiafoe says he is “in a different place right now” ahead of his Cincinnati SFs

Before commencing his journey in Cincy, the 26-year-old player had a first-round upset in Canada. Moreover, his semifinal exit from Washington further lowered his confidence. Except for the final match in ATP Houston, the former World No. 1’s 2024 season has been anything but remarkable. However, as he gradually regains his form on American soil, his bad luck is perhaps subsiding. 

Referring to this, the last year’s U.S. Open quarterfinalist said, “It’s been a tough year man. It’s been a tough year. Yeah, pretty much since the end of my US Open run, what I haven’t won 4 matches in a row since then so uh, yeah, it’s been tough. But, yeah, I’m in a different place right now in my life. Happy to have everything that comes my way. Good, bad, different, kinda gets rolled with the punches.” 

Tiafoe is now enjoying his time in Cincinnati and it will certainly boost his confidence to succeed in the upcoming U.S. Open as well. Besides, Pegula is there to carry forward the legacy of the U.S.A. in New York too! Hence, there is no doubt that the U.S. Open will indeed be a fascinating tournament!