ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2025

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

F. TIAFOE/S. Korda

7-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Frances. Can you walk us through the match today. How are you feeling?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I'm feeling good. Feeling good. I thought it was a really good level from both guys, especially in the first set. Sebi is a hell of a player, man. Can hit all the shots. His serve has improved a lot.

It was high level there in the first set. I was struggling on my serve, serving at a really low clip. A lot of second serves. Did a good job just kind of staying in there. I had some breakpoints, some long games. Just did a good job of staying in there and played a good breaker. Got tested there at the end.

I felt like after the first I really took off energy-wise. I thought I started hitting the ball much better, started returning much better. Things kind of just went my way.

Really happy. Not getting broken is always great.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. This is the French Open. Americans are supposed to get stuck in the mud, so to speak. What the heck is happening? We're doing so well, kicking butt. Talk about it. And what's happening in the locker room?

FRANCES TIAFOE: It's just winning matches, man. Guys are confident anywhere. Obviously, you know, we didn't have the best results. I mean, for me, I don't imagine on clay ever.

But again, yeah, as I told these three, Howard's not here, but early in the week, you know, ready to play. Mind's there. I mean, game is open. Anything can happen.

I think it's super critical not to worry about what was and just worry about what is. Currently we're at the French Open, and just try to be elite. This is where it counts. Yeah, so guys just believe it.

Tommy has had some incredible efforts, man. He's got some niggles and he's battling. Ben pulled out a great first round on Sunday. He got a lucky reward there, getting a deef. The draw opened up, he had a good look at it today.

Guys are just hungry, man. Just believe it. That's kind of all it is.

Q. It's three men in the round of 16 at Roland Garros, American men. First time in 30 years. When you collectively check off these boxes together, does it give you a feeling of satisfaction and maybe another feeling that the best is yet to come? Because especially here on the clay, it's unexpected, took you a while to find your feet. I think you lost your first six here, but through the round of 16, no sets dropped.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, good effort. Good effort from me and good effort from the other guys.

Yeah, I mean, it is comfortability, man. When you're going deep, you see several guys you grew up. Ben is a lot younger than us. But seeing Tommy going round of 16. I remember playing like 12 clay courts with the guy. Now we're in the round of 16 of the French Open. It's great. A lot of fun, man.

But ultimately we just want to keep going. I think everyone has their personal goals, what they're trying to achieve. There is no guarantees, man. It has been more of a normality of us going deep in slams, but there's no guarantees in life. Can't take these moments for granted.

Every time you're kind of out here, you want to give it the best you can. There is no telling that we'll be back in the round of 16 of a major again.

Q. Someone you have known even longer than Tommy who is your brother, Franklin. Knew him since before you were born. What are your thoughts on his journey in tennis? He's made his own way into the third round of the French Open here. Different role. Curious what you think of his path in tennis and then you have a big act to follow in some ways for him in this sport?

FRANCES TIAFOE: It's incredible, man. First of all, just love seeing the guy happy. Twin brother. Amazing kind of things he's been through. To be able to do something that actually means a lot to him... It's not just Coke and tennis. It's bigger than that.

Hailey Baptiste is a little sister to us, as Robin Montgomery is, as well. Would have loved them to play in the third round. That hurt me. That was tough. Still haven't reached out to her yet. Probably need to do that.

But man, it's incredible. Incredible to see what she's doing. Incredible to see Hailey, believing in it, winning matches and winning matches, and having Franklin there. Then me be a part at times and her asking for advice.

You know, you've got to think, you know, three guys of color come from a little academy in Maryland to now we're playing biggest matches in the world, playing for a ton of money, a ton of opportunity, a lot of eyes on you.

She looks up to us a lot. We're just trying to make sure she not only continues to be great tennis players, but a great kid. It's more important to be a great person. When you put good energy out, it always comes back. She's learning that now. It's been amazing to watch her, man. I'm super proud of her. And my brother. I'm super proud of him. It's been an incredible journey for him.

Q. You said about a week ago, like, you know, your form wasn't great, you knew that coming in. Was there something this week, a moment, a game, a set, anything where you were, like, Oh, actually I kind of feel good and stuff is possible here? It may have been as recent as tonight, but maybe in round 1 or round 2 where you started to believe in yourself in a way that you hadn't necessarily believed in yourself in the last month or so?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I always believe in myself.

Q. I didn't mean not believe in yourself, but believe your game was close.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, for me, it's all about applying. If I apply myself, then I can... Am I shocked at what I'm doing? No. Am I happy about it? Yeah. Because I know what I'm capable of. I know what I can do.

To be honest with you, I snapped the racquet in, like, probably Friday, I played on Sunday, in practice, and I absolutely lost it. That was critical for me. That was huge.

Then I played horrendous in a practice set, got absolutely killed. Then played another practice set that same day, right after that, after I broke the racquet and everything. Down 3-0, found a way to win the set. That was critical for me.

Like, I have been losing all kinds of matches, and I kind of was nonchalant about it, holding emotions in, not really letting guys know where I am at. I just kinda just lost it. That was big for me in terms of having emotion and understanding like being, like, yes this sucks. Like actually facing it rather than just kind of being, Oh, you know, it's all right. No, it sucks. You have been playing horrendous.

I think that was big for me, because then I finally actually adjusted and understood the why. And now I'm flying. I'm actually having fun again, battling, playing well.

Sometimes adversity is good. I think a lot of times people look at adversity as a bad thing. I think adversity at that moment was good.

Q. Who were you playing?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I was playing Ugo Carabelli. He beat me 6-0 or 6-1. I don't want to even curse on here. I just folded the racquet. Shout out to Ugo, man.

Q. How different is it when you get to this sort of stage, the US Open maybe is expected, taken for granted, expectation you might go further. Maybe here it is more of a surprise. How different is the pressure there compared to now where it's not a bonus, but there aren't huge expectations or there weren't of you going in?

FRANCES TIAFOE: It's a different vibe. It's a different vibe. Like it is more of a low key kind of thing. At the Open, like, there is so much anticipation, there's so much energy. Here I feel like it's like a workman-type vibe.

Still a lot of people, French Open. It's amazing here. But there's nothing like the Open. The Open is a whole different kind of beast. Obviously I have expectations from y'all, being American. I have two semis, blah, blah, blah. I've made history.

This is a different vibe. This is easier in a sense where it's, like, I can kind of just go and be me. There it's like, you got Ben. Are you gonna beat the next guy? I got my man over here. Are you gonna be the next guy to do it? It is different.

Rather than here, every match I win, it is like, Oh, does it feel good to be in the fourth round? Yeah. I will take those questions all day.

So it's just funny. It's funny, man.

Q. Back to Franklin. He was talking about early days when he was traveling with you when you were first starting to play and he was going with you in a coaching-type role he was describing, at least traveling partner with you. What were you seeing of him as a coach in those times? Look at everything he's been through. Everything where he's had to overcome or work through to get a real foothold for himself at this elite tennis level?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I think the biggest thing is being Frances Tiafoe's twin brother. I think getting out of that is very, very tough. He was living in that shadow and figuring out who he, right, as an individual. That was very tough. You know, a lot of limelight on me, and him trying to find his own way.

But in those moments when we was younger, man, there is not a guy who wants to see me do better. You know, he's a very direct guy. When he tells you something, like, even if you don't want to hear it, you know it's coming from love.

Sometimes you do something that's a high level, you have people around you, they may say what they want to say, but sugarcoat it a little bit because people worry about their jobs, this, that, and the other.

My brother, I can't get rid of my brother. You know what I'm saying? When we get in an argument, I've got to see him later. Mom's like, Get y'all's asses over here and figure this out, you know what I mean?

And I think this was the beauty of our relationship and I think that was the beauty early in my career, you know, going to some challengers and some other things with him, and him just pushing me and believing in me.

I think the guy just took me to a whole 'nother level. He is like, Look, man, whatever you do, win, lose, draw, I'm always going to love you, but the sky's the limit for you.

He just kind of exudes confidence in people he's around because he's such a joy to be around. I love my brother to death. So happy for him, and hopefully they can also join me in the fourth round.

Thanks for asking about him. Means a lot.

Q. Could you just talk about the key to JTCC, why so much success?

FRANCES TIAFOE: It's the best academy in the world. Or was (smiling).

We just built a culture there, man. Kind of just really family-oriented. You know, everybody kind of plays with everybody. When I was younger I was playing with members, like old dudes. They still message me now. You know, guys play with girls, and there was like everybody kind of rubs off of everyone. Coaches, all the same kind of love. You get game from all the coaches. Obviously you had your coach, but I can hit up this coach, What do you see about my game? I still do.

Everybody kind of just would show up for everybody. We all played together outside of the clinics. I think the friendships that we are all so close. It helps you believe it. Then I come through. You know, I was the first guy to come through. Hailey is a little younger than me. She see me do it. Oh, cool shit. Maybe I can do it.

Then Hailey does it, and Robin is like, Oh, shit, maybe I can I do it. It is those kind of things when you are rubbing shoulders with people, you feel like you can believe it.

Shout out to the coaches. They worked as hard, but they allowed us to be us. They still disciplining us, but they always tell us you love the game first, respect the game, and do it for love of the game no matter what and compete your hardest.

Yeah, we are just really blessed and it's been amazing to see everybody from that club do well. Hopefully we all can just keep going and keep riding the storm.