US OPEN

September 3, 2022

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

F. TIAFOE/D. Schwartzman

7-6, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Three-set win, three hours' time. Your thoughts on how you played.

FRANCES TIAFOE: I thought it was a hell of a match. Especially that first set, one of the craziest sets I've played in my career. It had everything in it. Down two breaks, serving again at 6-5, me down 6-3 in the breaker. Unbelievable how I even won the set.

Yeah, it was all around a really good match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You've obviously had good success in reaching the fourth round here. How do you think about reaching the quarterfinal? Is it a big milestone in the back of your mind?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, not really. I made quarterfinal of a slam before. Yeah, I'm not really concerned about getting quarterfinal. I want to go further, right? Yeah, I mean, third year running, fourth round, could be worse things, right? That's pretty good.

But I want to go a little further this year.

Q. You could play Rafa next. I think you've had two meetings with him. What can you take from those two? I think they were both in 2019.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I'm definitely a different player from 2019, playing much better. Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to have that first time playing him, excited to play.

Now I believe I can beat him. If I end up playing him, I'm definitely going to come after him.

Q. About facing Rafa, assuming it is, what do you remember the most from looking across the net and seeing him? What is the biggest challenge for your game to play against him?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I think for everybody is his intensity. Match his intensity from the first point to the last. You can't really have any dips. He takes advantage of it.

How good his forehand is, right? Once he gets ahold of his forehand, it's tough to get him out of that pattern.

I'm just going to have to be really aggressive and try to make him play to me, not me play to him.

Q. Been lots of discussions about the balls here. You don't seem to be having any problem with them.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Not at all.

Q. Is it ever an issue for you at other tournaments?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, sometimes. Sometimes if the ball is really slow, that's what I have a problem with. The balls are light going through the air. That's what I like.

Yeah, I have no real problem with the balls here at all.

Q. Curious whether you watched any of or how much of it, Serena's match last night, either from here or in a hotel or something. What were your thoughts watching that, this presumably being it for her?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I watched the first two rounds, the first sets in the first two rounds, live. I played early today, so I didn't watch.

Yeah, I mean, it's tough. It's tough. You almost don't believe it, like it could be her last time playing.

But, yeah, I mean, I definitely think she should have won last night. She had a lot of opportunities. The pressure was just a lot.

Yeah, I just have so much respect for her, for what she did for the game of tennis. She's one of the best athletes ever, accomplished so much. Coming from where she came from and doing what she did. She exceeded expectations.

She's just a true leader. She's a winner, no matter what. So I'm just happy to call her a friend, happy to call her a colleague.

Q. Can you share with us a fun story that comes to mind or interesting about your relationship with Serena.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I think she's really funny. Obviously you guys see how fierce and the passion and stuff she has on the court. She's very funny outside of it. Super easygoing.

I can remember when we played mixed in Perth, we were playing against Federer and Belinda. She gets aced by Roger twice.

She's like, I don't know how this guy is acing me. She goes, Don't worry, we're not going to lose. Even if we do lose, I got 23, he got 20, so it's all good (laughter).

I'm just like, man, this is too much. This is how she is in general. It's just pretty funny. That line always stood out to me. It was pretty funny.

Q. Murray said her language was kind of spicy. Does she make it salty out there?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, it's like everyone. Everyone, like, curses a bit more when you're speaking with friends. Yeah, I mean, it can be at times, for sure.

Q. Speaking of another friend who is doing well, Nick Kyrgios. Could you talk about your friendship with him and share a story.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Me and Nick hang out a lot outside the tennis. Not so much now. But, yeah, I mean, I don't really have a story I'd like to tell you about him.

I think what he's doing is great. I think seeing him play so well is great. You see most of the matches he's playing, he's packing out stadiums. He has a huge match tomorrow with Medvedev. I'll be watching that. It's super exciting.

I like seeing him try and really giving everything to the game because I think he definitely is really good for the game of tennis.

Q. Do you study video of someone like Rafa, his most recent matches? Is it something you've seen so many times you don't really have to?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, you've seen him so much. I've seen him growing up. I've played against him, practiced against him. You know what he's going to do. Sometimes it's too good what he does.

But I'm ready. I mean, I'm excited. Hopefully he wins and hopefully we get to match up. I'm excited. We're going to play on Ashe. Yeah, the best court in tennis. I'll be ready to give my best stuff.

Q. A few minutes ago you said you're a different player from 2019. How are you different and what is it about you now that makes getting to the fourth round something more of an expectation than a wish?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I've just matured honestly. I've just matured a lot. Then my game is gotten better. But, I mean, I'm serving better. Today I served diabolical. Usually, I mean, I've been serving much better.

I just have a lot more belief in myself. I'm happy where I'm at. Yeah, I mean, I just have a good team around me, like everyone's super consistent. I'm trying to follow the same process day in, day out.

So, yeah, I mean, I've just been happy where I'm at.

Q. Back to Nick Kyrgios, your match with him at the Citi Open, a general question about Nick, he's able to create this chaos in his matches, make the atmosphere crazy. He seems to thrive in it. Do you have any observations on that?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I'm here to talk about me being in the fourth round. I'm not here to talk about Nick Kyrgios, yeah.

Q. The Mets PR department told me you went over to Citi Field. Any recollections about that? Are you a fan of the local Washington Nationals?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I hopped on the bandwagon when we won the World Series a couple years ago. Got my jersey and everything (smiling).

I'm a good friend of Lindor. Going to see him was real cool. Getting a signed jersey from him was really cool, talking to him. Going to the Mets game was super cool. That was a lot of fun.

It would be cool, like, I'm asking a ton of questions. I really don't know so much about baseball. It was cool to be there.

Maybe at home I'll stop by some Nats games. Yeah, definitely hopped on that bandwagon when we won the World Series.

Q. If you could change one or two things in our sport, what would that be?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, probably like with crowds. Everyone freaks out about people talking and stuff. A little more movement, them able to talk a little bit, change that a little bit. You see little kids and stuff like that go to basketball games, whatever, other sports. It's entertainment. You're able to talk and do stuff.

Obviously it's tough with tennis. You really need focus. But I think that would help bring younger fans. I don't know.

I mean, that's probably my biggest thing. Some players are complaining about someone in the absolute nosebleeds. Are you really worried about what that person is doing?

Everything else is kind of fun. I think once people get here and watch tennis live, they absolutely love it, so...