With the likes of Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton driving American tennis forward, talks about Frances Tiafoe have taken a backseat, as far as the critics are concerned. Owing to an inconsistent run of form, the lanky American has often been ignored in recent times. American tennis boasts phenomenal talent currently and several players are vying to achieve higher spots in the rankings. Amid this, Tiafoe has proved his critics wrong by making it to the summit clash of the ongoing Cincinnati Open 2024.

In the semifinal stage of the tournament, Tiafoe got the better of Holger Rune in a thrilling three-set match. With the home crowd behind him, the American was able to shut his critics by upsetting Rune, who was the favorite going into the contest. Tiafoe remained as determined as ever and shut down everyone who wrote him off by winning the final-set tiebreaker to set up a clash with Jannik Sinner in the final.

Following Tiafoe’s victory, his girlfriend, Ayan Broomfield took to her official Instagram handle to share the American star’s powerful message to his critics after making it to the summit clash. Posting a story on her Instagram handle, Broomfield shared a glimpse of the camera, on which Tiafoe wrote, “Why not me.” 

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 showed tremendous grit and determination to dig deep into the tournament.

Tiafoe’s girlfriend has been a pillar of support for him when critics downplayed him. Minutes ago, she boosted the morale of the American star by sharing a story about him making it to the summit clash at Cincinnati and commenting, “lfg!!!”

It is probably the biggest victory of Tiafoe’s career, having reached the finals of a Masters tournament for the first time in his career. However, despite playing in front of the home crowd, the 26-year-old tipped Sinner as the favorite going into the final.

Frances Tiafoe on Jannik Sinner: ‘Got to tip your hat to a guy like him’

Interestingly, Tiafoe was on the brink of a defeat in the semifinal against Rune. He was down 2-5 in the deciding set and even saved a couple of match points to take the match to a tiebreaker. However, the American kept his cool in pressure moments to set up a thrilling final battle against Sinner.

While Tiafoe has had an inconsistent run of form this season, Sinner has been a symbol of consistency throughout the year. He has a win-loss record of 47-5 and has captured big titles like the Australian Open and the Miami Open. As a result, Tiafoe is wary about his chances against the Italian star.

Asked if Sinner was the favorite against him, Tiafoe said, “Absolutely, for sure he is, right? He’s lost like [five] matches all year? He’s the favorite in every match he plays, no question about it. You’ve got to tip your hat to a guy like him.”

Nonetheless, Tiafoe has found form at the right time, with the US Open coming up in a few days. Can the American star spring a surprise against Sinner later today? Let us know your views in the comments below.