US OPEN

September 10, 2022

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

C. ALCARAZ/F. Tiafoe

6-7, 6-3, 6-1, 6-7, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think you've proven to everybody, including yourself, about yourself?

FRANCES TIAFOE: A lot of different things. A lot of different emotions right now.

I mean, I just proved that honestly, I mean, I can play with the best obviously, and I'm capable of winning Grand Slams. I think everyone knew when I play my best what I could do. But you know how close I can actually be to be one of those guys and to do this consistently.

Obviously through my career I've been pretty sporadic of playing well, veering off for a while. I've always backed myself against the best players in the world. I'm doing it on a consistent basis, starting to beat guys more readily. Ready to take the next step.

I think rankings right now are honestly just a number. I really don't care what anyone I'm playing. I feel like I can win any match.

Q. Where do you think you go from here in terms of the rest of the year, getting ready for next slams? As you were talking before about being able to win slams, do you think you have a real understanding of the work that it takes now that you didn't have a few years ago to get to this point?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, I knew that, like, I'm definitely falling in love with the process and doing the work much more. I'm working smarter, I'm understanding, like. I've always, like, tried hard, but get my weaknesses stronger, breaking down my game a lot more, and I am a student of the game again.

When I was younger, I was a big student of the game. Just get my weaknesses better, just keep trying to get better.

I always knew to put two weeks together is obviously the toughest thing in the world. That's why only three guys were doing it for so long.

After getting this deep, I understand how much rest is important during two weeks of slams. Again, I didn't go out to dinner one time. Just resting. It's tough. I mean, it's definitely tough, three-out-of-five.

I still have more in me if I had to play on Sunday. But, yeah, I mean, two weeks, three-out-of-five, is not easy. It's a tough test.

Q. How would you describe what the atmosphere was like out there tonight?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I thought it was pretty bad. I wished they got into it (laughter).

No, it was so electric. I mean, the tennis definitely matched the hype of the match. Unbelievable shot-making, gets, extending points, crazy shots, I mean, at crazy times.

Yeah, I was getting riled up. People love to see that guy play, so they were getting behind him, too. Obviously I would have loved to win tonight, but I think tennis won tonight. I think the crowd got what they expected. I just wish I was the one who got the W.

But it was unbelievable to be a part of. A lot of who's who in there. At the end of the day I have to be happy. I gave everything that I had.

Q. To have Michelle Obama, afterwards she's in the players' area, how was that? I don't know if you met her before.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, I seen her like 2-1 in the first, kind of turned my head right. She looked at me. Before they announced her, put it on the Jumbotron, I already seen her. Everybody was pointing at her.

I seen her. I think I shanked a return. Yeah, she thinks I'm a bum, can't make a return (smiling).

Seeing her there was crazy. Obviously there was a lot of who's whos in there tonight. Obviously we all know what she means. Crazy.

Crazy getting to meet her after. Seen her before, but it's a little bit different circumstance. She sees me and she's actually excited to see me.

Yeah, unbelievable. Unbelievable night.

Q. I think you've spoken about the kind of effect that you've seen that you've had on people. Given how people have reacted to you, why do you feel you had to apologize tonight to the crowd?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, obviously emotions are flying a thousand miles an hour. I wanted to be here on Sunday holding the cup. I had it in my head.

To be honest with you, guys were asking me what was my idea coming in. I genuinely believe I could win the US Open. That was the focus. Everyone around me, that was the focus. My girlfriend, my team, we approached every day as such to win the US Open. And the crowd was feeling me. The crowd was really getting behind me. I know they really wanted to see me win.

I'm just flying a thousand miles an hour at that time. Obviously I didn't mean it in that sense, letting them down. But that's how I felt in that particular moment because they were getting so far behind me.

But I know they're proud of what I did. They stayed behind me for four-and-a-half hours, so...

But I wanted this one to end a little differently, that's all.

Q. Could you step back and put this run into one or two words or phrases, what was this?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Man, I mean, I haven't even let it soak in yet, honestly. But craziest two weeks of my life. Craziest two weeks of my life. Stuff you dream about doing.

Fell a little short. But, you know, I mean, getting to the fourth round three years in a row, that's already a good accomplishment. Beating Rafa, being the only player to beat Rafa in a slam this year, the year he's had. Him being in the race to be No. 1 in the world, shut that down.

Just saying you beat him in a Grand Slam. Me beating him two-out-of-three, Grand Slam, it's not an easy task. To have my first time beat him here in New York in front of everybody and seeing what that meant, that was crazy.

Being able to back it up, too. A lot of people beat him and don't back it up. That was a lot of growth coming out. And playing Andrey and beating him, then playing an unbelievable match tonight.

Crazy two weeks. I really need to soak it in to give you an answer.

Q. Is there a way to describe just how high Carlos' level was tonight?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, I think it's going to be very tough to play him. He's one of the best players in the world, for sure. He's so young. He hits the ball so hard. I never played a guy who moves as well as him, honestly. I've seen him get a lot of balls, but I was hitting some drop volleys that I've been hitting. He's getting there. How he's able to extend points, incredible.

He's a hell of a player. He's going to be a problem for a very long time.

Again, I mean, I still had my looks. I still had my chances, so... It shows where I'm at. But, you know, for him to be so young, being so poised in big moments, I take my hat off and I got a lot of respect for him.

Q. Even though in tiebreaks this tournament, nobody has ever won eight tiebreaks at the US Open before. That statistic, is that an indication of where you are as a pressure player right now?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I don't know, man. That's crazy. I was laughing after I won the fourth in the breaker. This is wild.

I don't know. I guess the breakers are just making sense. I really don't know what to say. Usually in the other breakers, I was serving huge. Today I wasn't serving so well at all. So I was playing really well from the back.

I don't know. I mean, to seven points, you can get a little rhythm. If you get hot early, get on the guy. Plus the crowd's behind me. You know, the guy gets a little nervous. I mean, I don't know.

Yeah, I mean, it's not easy to go 8-0 in breakers. I played a lot in this tournament. I wish the fifth was a breaker because maybe I would have been 9-and-0.