US OPEN

August 23, 2024

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Frances, welcome. If you could, your thoughts on the Open.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, at the Open. I'm super excited to be here, obviously. Coming in with really good momentum.

Yeah, hoping for another really big run. I love playing here in New York, obviously. Let's see what happens.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Some people don't put a lot of significance on the rankings, but I know you were saying earlier to be back up there with the other guys in your group, to have this group, a chunk of guys in the top 20, has got to feel good for you.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, yeah. I mean, American guys have been playing well for a really long time. It's nice. It's nice, definitely, you know, to be back up there with those guys.

But, I mean, obviously I want to be back closer to where I want to be, top 10, so on and so forth. But last week was definitely a good steppingstone towards that, for sure.

Q. Are you feeling, given what happened in Cincinnati, there has to be a pretty good feeling coming in here this year?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Oh, absolutely, absolutely. But every week, every event you've got to take it for what it is. Obviously I had great momentum there but in general I'm feeling much, much better. Since Wimbledon I've been playing much, much better. It finally came together that week, and trying to use that for this week.

Q. You were the last person to play Jannik before all this news came out about him and you were very complimentary of him and his play after the final. Curious what you make of all the news coming out.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, obviously he's an incredible player, and, you know, government bodies made a decision, they went and did that. He's cleared to play. You know, that's pretty much what I have to say about it.

All the best to him in the US Open, and I'm just excited about me doing my thing at the Open.

Q. I realize when you get a draw, you can only concentrate on the first player that you're playing against. I just wondered, do you look ahead in the draw at all? Are you aware who might be in your pack in two rounds' time, for instance?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, you've got to see what's going on, for sure. You have to (smiling). But yeah, I mean, obviously those things don't happen unless you take care of what's in front of you. But for sure. No question, no question.

Q. You said you focus on yourself, of course. Have you been following a lot of the discourse around? There's obviously a lot of your fellow players saying that they believe there's one rule for a top player and other rules for other people. Have you followed any of that?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Honestly, I haven't followed it much. I mean, I've been super busy this week myself just taking care of all of the stuff I've got to do. Yeah, I mean, a lot of people have spoken out and said things about it.

Again, as I said to him, government bodies do what they did. Obviously he's cleared to play and that's obviously all that matters. I'm just trying to focus on the US Open and, yeah, I finally had a great week in Cincinnati and that's all I'm really focused on.

Q. There have been a few instances recently of questions about whether there ought to be more video review available to chair umpires. Curious what you think about that and do you know that they do have that here? Are you happy that...

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, very happy to have that. Very happy to have that. I think it's very, very big. There's a lot on the line that you're playing for. You know, I mean, some things that happened last week, I feel like this can't happen at an elite level. We're talking about top of the game, our biggest events outside of slams.

I think it's a really, really good thing. You know, technology is so good now, I think it should be covered in that way for sure.

Q. You opted not to play the Olympics, but you've just been signed to the World Team for the Laver Cup. In your mind, is tennis a team sport, is it an individual sport? Where does that team concept fit in for you?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, if there's a team event and I'm feeling good, ready to play, I'm going to play. You know, I love playing team events. Obviously it's an individual sport but I think team events bring a good vibe. I think it shows a lot of player personalities and stuff, getting people out of their shells a little bit. I think it's really good for the sport.

I think Laver Cup is an incredible event. It's done well for however many years it's been going on, five, six years. I love being a part of it, I love playing it. Yeah, so I'll be out there, for sure.

Q. What are your thoughts on the one title that had eluded Novak for so long, and now he has it, the Olympic gold, and what that does to his mentality and his stature?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, I know how bad he wanted that one, for sure. It was an incredible effort, incredible effort. You've got to tip your hat off to him. You know, stats-wise, I think he's been the greatest player of all time for a while now and obviously now he just cemented it. Crazy. He's like 45 and he's still winning every tournament. It's really good to see what he's doing. (Laughter.)

But, yeah, I mean, tremendous effort, and I know that meant a lot to him and the country, so congratulations to him.

Q. What's the difference in your game when you're confident and when you're not confident?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I think there's a big difference (smiling). I think there's a massive difference.

I think the one thing you see is a lot more joy and excitement when I'm playing when I'm really confident. The level of fear I instill in my opponent, for sure.

Yeah, I find I'm much more aggressive, much more sure of myself. I get the crowd into it, play with much more passion, energy, than when I'm not. I think it's two different Franceses, for sure, when I'm in that mode.

I think, you know, it's really good for the game, as well.

Q. Andre Agassi would say he'd be playing crappy and hit one big-ass forehand and he was in. Can that happen to you?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, for sure. Definitely you can have shots that definitely light you up. I mean, obviously not every day you're going to be feeling your absolute best and be so amped up and whatever, whatever.

Yeah, the biggest thing is try to be as present as possible each week and try to get the most out of yourself, even those days when you're not playing your best. That's what's been better for me as of late.

Q. Going back to the Olympics quickly, obviously you had your personal reasons for not playing. Just wondered if you had any FOMO when it was on?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Oh, absolutely. The boat day killed me (smiling), minus the rain. I wouldn't have had so much fun in the rain.

But, yeah, seeing everybody, all of Team USA, everybody there, friends with a lot of guys there from different sports and stuff like that. That's the time to connect with a whole bunch of athletes.

At that time I didn't know I was going to make the final in Cincinnati. I'll take that every day, and getting my career back to where I need to be and winning a bunch of matches and stuff like that. I think I made the right decision in the end.

But that day, for sure. It would be weird if you didn't.

Q. Let's say you're sitting down with the tennis gods and they say, Okay, Frances, you American guys that are all great players, yourself, Taylor, Tommy, Ben Shelton, Seb, all these guys, but who, aside from yourself, who's the next American who's going to win a slam and hold up a slam trophy? Who would that be?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Well, if you think I'm going to say anybody else but me, you're crazy (laughter).

Q. Not counting you.

FRANCES TIAFOE: I don't even know, man. It's hard to say anyone but myself. But, I mean, ability-wise all those guys have capability of doing it. Let's go with Sebi probably. I like his game. He's super, super complete.

Q. What's it like to wait all year for this tournament, which you're so keyed up for, but then to have to sort of keep your emotions in check? Is that something that David helps you out with, and why did you bring him on and what does he bring?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, he's very similar to me in personality, for sure. I mean, he's instilled a lot of confidence in me. Constantly always telling me to believe in myself. And just telling me, I mean, the obvious, but just lock in more on each point, play less loose points. Just ride the highs and lows better.

Obviously you guys know I can get really high and sometimes pretty low, and he's kind of managed to keep me pretty even-keeled and stay much more poised while I'm out there. Not allowing moments to be bigger than what they are, or moments to be as strenuous as sometimes I can make them as. Yeah, that's probably the biggest thing he's added for me.

It's not easy waiting for this tournament all year. I'm so amped up. It's circled on the calendar every year. I love these two weeks and I love playing tennis after Wimbledon in the States. There's no better time for me.

Q. So there is a new policy this year that matches can be moved to a different court if they start past a certain time at night. What do you think about that new policy and what do you think generally should be done about this sort of issue of matches finishing at 2:00 a.m., 2:30 a.m. at some of these majors?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Well, thanks for telling me. I had no idea that was a thing. I mean, I think it's pretty epic, though, those late finishes.

Obviously it's tough. You have to recover and come back the next day, it helps you have that day off. But I played one late match here three years ago, and that was, I mean, that was pretty epic.

But, I mean, it's New York. I don't think the fans mind too much. Yeah, I mean, I think it definitely helps from a recovery standpoint, for sure.

Q. I'm curious, what music do you listen to before a match, either to pump yourself up or chill yourself out?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, if I'm just relaxing, I'm listening to a lot of Afrobeats, Burna Boy's, just vibing out. But before matches, as of late listening to a lot of Nipsey Hussle, just trying to get really pumped up. I love some of his rapping. It gets me definitely in a really good mode, for sure.

Q. While you were sitting at home with FOMO, who of your friends were you watching? What sports? Who were you cheering on?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, I was cheering on everyone. I mean, Jill, my agent, pretty much does everybody on the Olympic team, U.S. Olympic team, so it was pretty fun to follow. (Laughter.)

But, no, I mean, yeah, I was following every sport. So happy to see what everyone did track and field. Obviously Team USA, both men and women, basketball, winning, like, watching the American tennis guys. Just following the whole thing. It's pretty cool.

Olympics is pretty epic, you know. I mean, Ledecky doing her thing, she's from Maryland too, which is really cool. It was awesome to watch.

Olympics is something really cool, and I'm excited for LA.

Q. You mentioned obviously you feel like you have good momentum coming here. Seems like a lot of players maybe don't. They haven't played much since the Olympics and a change in clay, grass, clay, hard, whatever. Novak hasn't played at all. Coco struggled a bit lately. You used to be able to pencil in four or five names you knew were going to be good in New York. Is that hard this year because a lot of people don't seem like they are in good form?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, it all changes in a couple of matches. You can't really anticipate that. Obviously it looks like that going in, but I think it's open for a lot of guys this year, for sure, to have a chance at it. You can never count those guys out. They're on the top of the game for a reason.

It's always different in a slam. The lights are a little brighter. We'll see. We'll see what ends up happening. Personally I just like where I'm at and my shot at it.

Q. I write about Tommy Paul and Reilly Opelka a lot. Tommy's development these last two years, what you have seen as sort of the biggest changes in his game that allow him to get up here. How much were you talking to Reilly, keeping his spirits up during the two years he was gone?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I spoke to Reilly a couple of times a week for a couple of years. He was hitting us up after most matches all the time.

Reilly and Tommy are guys I'm really close with. We've been playing since, I mean, 10-and-unders together. Taylor came a little later. But yeah, I mean, those two were super, super close. And to see Tommy do what he's doing, man, it's incredible. After a while, there was times where he wanted to give it up, and he did an unbelievable job, putting a great team together. He's much more serious. He's committed. He wants it.

He just loves being a part of us and being a part of the group of guys doing really well. He's been on top of the game, and he just wants it. He's always been super talented. Everyone knows his ability, but it's good to see him putting it together. I'm super happy for him.