“Crazy, crazy” was Frances Tiafoe’s reaction after his commendable win over Holger Rune at the Cincinnati Masters semi-finals. While there were several top-ranked competitors during the start of this tournament, the American ‘Dark Horse’ proved his worth with a commendable campaign. As fans are finding it hard to not appreciate his rapid rise, renowned members of the tennis community also find themselves in a similar situation.

Brad Gilbert, the man leading US Open champion Coco Gauff‘s coaching team for a long time, couldn’t contain his excitement after Frances Tiafoe’s thrilling victory at the Cincinnati Open. Gilbert took to social media platform X to praise the American’s excellent performance. “What a night @CincyTennis both men’s semis 7/6 in the 3rd, with Lighten up ⬆️ Frances win, there are now 5 US 🇺🇸 men in the top 20 in live rankings… guessing 1st time since late 90’s-00 this has happened,” he wrote. Gilbert’s tweet highlighted the remarkable achievement of Tiafoe along with the rising fame of American men in tennis.

Tiafoe’s path to his first ATP Masters 1000 final was nothing less than extraordinary. During his semi-final match against Holger Rune, the American faced a daunting challenge as he trailed 2-5 in the third set. Although the odds were against him, the 26-year-old made a dramatic comeback by saving two match points on his serve. With his back against the wall, he fought with determination and managed to take the lead. Reflecting on his impressive win, Tiafoe said, “Crazy, crazy. That last set was nuts… I also battled. I competed really hard and put myself in position.”

The excitement surrounding Frances Tiafoe’s performance extended beyond Brad Gilbert. Tennis icon Chris Evert also came forward to appreciate his levels with a recent post on X. “Just watched the @FTiafoe match from last night… All I can say is 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏,” the former WTA pro wrote. Her response made it clear that not just the young fans but also the renowned members of the tennis community are keeping an eye on Tiafoe’s rapid escalation.

As Tiafoe has his eyes set on the Cincinnati title, he stands just one match away from securing his first-ever ATP Masters 1000 championship. Gearing up for the highly anticipated final match against Jannik Sinner, the American star has the opportunity to cap off an incredible week with the biggest victory of his career.

Frances Tiafoe admits to the undeniable dominance of his final match rival

Jannik Sinner had to go through the ups and downs of competition lately. However, besides the issues he faced on clay and grass, his hard court record shows a commendable number. The young Italian not only received a head start in the ongoing season by winning the Australian Open title but also showed consistency by excelling in Miami. He currently leads Frances Tiafoe 3-1 in their ATP Head2Head series, with their upcoming match being their first encounter of the season.

Sinner took down Tiafoe 6-3, 6-4 in Vienna, which is marked as their most recent meeting. Despite noting the fact his upcoming match rival is on the heavier side, Tiafoe is excited about the opportunity to compete in front of the Cincinnati fans. The American recognized Sinner as the favorite, saying, “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.”

Tiafoe respects Sinner’s consistency and looks forward to the challenge of facing him again on the court. Do you think he can get the better of the Italian and clinch the title in Cincinnati? Let us know in the comments below.