Frances Tiafoe advances to the quarterfinals at Roland Garros
Before starting his participation in the French Open, Frances Tiafoe was not particularly enthusiastic about the clay surface or his chances in the tournament.
“The last clay court tournament, which I’m really excited about,” Tiafoe said on the eve of the Grand Slam event at Roland-Garros. “And then we move on to the real important stuff, the grass and the hard courts of the summer, where tennis really matters.”
Frances Tiafoe
However, his perspective might have changed drastically. The American tennis player, seeded number 15, managed to reach the quarterfinals of the French Open for the first time in his career, after defeating Daniel Altmaier of Germany with a score of 6-3, 6-4, and 7-6 (4) on Sunday night. With this victory, he joins Tommy Paul, seeded number 12, thus ensuring the presence of two American men in the round of eight.
This is the first time the country has managed to place more than one man in the quarterfinals in Paris since 1996, when Jim Courier and Pete Sampras achieved it. Furthermore, no American tennis player had reached so far in the tournament since Andre Agassi in 2003.
Tiafoe, who celebrated his victory with an effusive expression of joy, has achieved this feat without conceding a single set.
This remarkable transformation contrasts with his clay court history, where his powerful strokes were often limited. Before this year, Tiafoe had a record of 0-6 at the French Open, achieving his first victory in 2022 and another last year.
“On clay, I become a bit more passive than on other surfaces, because the court doesn’t allow me to play as fast as I’d like,” explained Tiafoe, a two-time semifinalist on the hard courts of the US Open, where fast shots are rewarded and noisy crowds and bright lights often bring out the best in him. “Patience is something I struggle with.”
Frances Tiafoe
A little over a week ago, Tiafoe commented with his characteristic sense of humor: “In general, I firmly believe that everything can change in a week. When I find myself cornered, it seems that I start to produce my best tennis, because I have to if I want to keep living the life I want.”
“If I’m ready to play, I’m not just going to reach the third round, I can make a good run. Honestly, I feel like I can beat anyone on any given day,” added Tiafoe, 27, from Maryland.
In the next phase, Tiafoe will face on Tuesday the winner of the match between Lorenzo Musetti, seeded number 8, and Holger Rune, seeded number 10.
Regarding the women’s competition, four American players advanced to the fourth round on Monday: Coco Gauff (No. 2), Jessica Pegula (No. 3), and Madison Keys (No. 7) against Hailey Baptiste in an all-American matchup.
For his part, Tommy Paul, a semifinalist at the Australian Open in 2023, had a solid performance on Sunday, securing a victory with a score of 6-3, 6-3, and 6-3 against Alexei Popyrin of Australia, seeded number 25, in less than two hours. Paul, 28 years old and originally from North Carolina, will now face Carlos Alcaraz of Spain, seeded number 2 and current champion, who defeated Ben Shelton of the United States with a score of 7-6 (8), 6-3, 4-6, and 6-4.
“Obviously, Alcaraz can play incredible tennis here,” Paul commented.
Tommy Paul
