US OPEN

August 30, 2022

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

F. TIAFOE/M. Giron

7-6, 6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Thoughts on the match, please.

FRANCES TIAFOE: I thought it was really good. I thought I served well for a good extent in that match. Early in the third I lost a bit of focus. Haven't played three-out-of-five in a while. It's tough. 7-6, 6-4, I won. But then I got to play one more set.

But, yeah, I thought my serve was the key probably tonight. Got me out of a lot of trouble. Yeah, I'm just happy I won in straights.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I was talking to Taylor yesterday, Stefanos, who lost. They were weirded out for different reasons. One of the things Stefanos said it's kind of the opportunity at hand, he could get close to No. 1. Do you see that at all? Do you feel there's a huge opportunity at this slam?

FRANCES TIAFOE: No doubt, man. I mean, Novak couldn't play. You look, it's true. You look at the rankings for those guys, not Taylor, but Stefanos, I mean, yeah, he's ready, No. 1 in the world. He had a great opportunity.

I mean, it's tough. There's just a change in guard just in general. Who is going to be that guy, who is going to be that consistent guy that hasn't really formed yet. Everyone is around the same level honestly. Everyone is beatable at the same time. Even the top guys.

Yeah, I mean, it's cool. I think tennis needs that, see some new faces, what have you. But it's interesting. I mean, I'm not there yet. You ask me. I'm still that dark horse who can do something special.

I kind of like it that I'm not like in the forefront of that 'cause, you know, let those guys handle the pressure. I'm kind of Court 17, get some cheeky wins.

Q. How do you feel about your game at the moment?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I think I'm playing great tennis, honestly. It was an all right summer. Could have been a really good summer. Had five match points against Kyrgios, playing the best tennis of his life. Fritz, up 4-0 there. Beat Berrettini in Cincinnati. Up a break against Korda. Messed that up. I could have had a really good summer.

But you look at that, playing great tennis. Just gagged a little bit. Yeah but, I mean, I'm really confident, playing some great tennis. Fourth round of Wimbledon. I like where I'm at.

Q. Do you have any specific kind of Serena personal anecdotes?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, that's my guy, man. I mean, I came out there, (indiscernible) walked out today. I stayed last night. I mean, I played Hopman Cup with her. Spent that time with her. I mean, then after that just how genuine she is. Giving me two cents all the time. How normal she is at the same time. Hanging out with her all week, doing dinners with her, stuff like that, seeing her crack jokes, so normal.

Seeing someone who is a Mount Rushmore person like her, seeing the normality in her was crazy. How she treats everybody with such respect, everything like that. Just a true leader.

Being able to share the court with her, being able to practice with her in the off-season. She's like, Aren't you coming over to the house? We have lunch. She's really taken me in. She just wants to see me do well.

I seen her in Eastbourne. We had an hour conversation after practice on the court, telling me all kinds of stuff.

It's sad. It's sad to see her go. I love how she's saying she's evolving and not retiring.

Q. What was it like yesterday? You were in the stands?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah. I mean, if I could have that career, man. You think about last night, like every who's who was in there last night just showing love of what she did for the last 20-plus years.

I mean, like from warmup people were going crazy. What she wore out to the court. I mean, c'mon. I mean, like, I was like, Man, thinks so iconic. She's like the queen. It's crazy.

Sitting there watching that, this is wild. Got me emotional. First serve girl misses, crowd is going crazy. I'm just happy she won. Whole family came out after the match, after the W.

I think she can even win tomorrow. I'm going to come out again tomorrow. One of those things you can't miss honestly. Kind of irrelevant what I'm doing. Not irrelevant, but you know what I'm saying. Very relevant out there (laughter). You know what I mean by that.

Yeah, I mean, I'm just so happy for her, so happy for her she's going out in her own way. Hopefully she's going to have a Cinderella story.

Q. We've seen on the women's side a lot of lower-ranked women win slams. Do you think it's something that's possible with the men's game?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I totally think so. You think where Nick was at. I mean, I say it straight out, I think he should have won Wimbledon. I think he was the better player in that final. Novak mentally, he got exposed. That's where the experience kicked in for Novak. I think tennis-wise, Nick played a better match.

There's guys that can do that. I mean, I've beaten guys in big matches, slams, big courts. Just a matter of doing it for two weeks, getting the rest, make quarterfinals, bunch of fourth rounds.

Again, it's not like you got to beat Murray in his prime and DelPo, Fed. It's not the case any more. I mean, guys are good, but the level is not as drastic. Like Novak, as well.

I think anybody can win. I mean, anyone who's really got the game.