MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

July 23, 2025

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

F. TIAFOE/A. Kovacevic

7-5, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Frances, congrats. How does it feel? Obviously this is a tournament that means a lot to you. How does it feel to get your feet in this tournament and get through that first round?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, good. Again, I really didn't think the match had much in it. Not many rallies. Courts are really fast this year. I got in a great serving rhythm there towards the end. Tough to kind of make returns. I thought he served really well.

I don't know how many aces he ended up with. What was the ace count, both of us?

Q. 12, 12.

FRANCES TIAFOE: 12, 12. I caught him there at the end. Served really well at the end.

He served well, man. Yeah, it wasn't great tennis, but happy to win. Had flashes of pretty good stuff. Just happy to win those. Sometimes, all the time, more times than not you have to try and win when you're not playing your best. That was a testament today.

Q. You referenced your serve particularly at the end and that closing game, at least two aces there. How do you describe the turn of events? You broke him that next-to-last game, and then maybe the momentum you were able to carry into the final one?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, for sure. Felt good. Once I broke there, felt loose, ton of confidence. Tried to win four points. Really aggressive. Went for it. Went for my spots. Got 'em up out of there.

Felt good. He's tough, man. Very good player. Testament to the work he's put in. Final in Cabo last week. He's beaten incredible guys all year. Made two finals of 250s this year, practice all the time. Good friend of mine. It was a good match.

Q. Usually the term "grind," you associate grind with something that's drawn out, but this match was a little bit of a grind for you? Tough nature of it?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, it was tough because it was, like, tough to get your teeth in it. Quick games. Serve, boom. By the time you know it, I got Love-30. He blings, I hit a net cord, had a deep return, now he's Love-30, 4-3, he's feeling little tight, I'm feeling a couple good points we'd be out of here.

Fast courts, things can happen like that, and happy with my win, for sure.

Q. Anything stand out with Flavio tomorrow? You don't have much history with him. Just one match?

FRANCES TIAFOE: No, played him one match and that was before he was who he is now. He's been playing incredible. Quarters Wimbledon, won Hamburg.

I think it's going to be a really good match. He made finals here last year. He's going to make me work. I'm excited. I'm excited to play a good, tough match with him, for sure.

Q. You said several times throughout your career this is a part of the season you really look forward to. I'm wondering how you feel right now, in this part of the season. Do you feel locked in? If you aren't, what are some things you look into yourself to feel locked into this part of the season?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I'm just excited to play. It's just fun to play, fun to be out here. I'm in D.C. Go to Toronto next week, my girl's from. Cincinnati, so chill.

Then obviously Open is the best tournament in the world. I feel locked in, man. I feel super motivated. It's not really about how I'm playing. Just compete, just dig in, just compete and get one and try to get another one and try to play better each and every match.

No excuses. Just try to find solutions and not excuses, man. Put the head down and go after it.

Q. I don't know if you heard, Hailey Baptiste was in press yesterday and mentioned that D.C. is probably one of the Blackest stops on tour.

FRANCES TIAFOE: I love her, man.

Q. Do you agree with that?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Have you seen the stands? Incredible, man. It definitely is, man.

Look, obviously Venus packs it to the rafters, man. So many people of color in the stands, it's awesome. Chocolate City for a reason. Diversity is insane. I love being here.

You don't have your average tennis fan here, especially watching me or her or Ben, Taylor, obviously V. So it's fun, it's fun. Tennis etiquette, you saw Kovacevic getting super pissed, and a lot of times Black people not knowing what the hell tennis is. Not moving, not doing anything.

Just funny. Unbelievable. He's getting frustrated. It was funny, because, like, this is kind of what we need.

But I get it. I get it, for sure.

Q. You have had three really tough battles against Aleks every time you have played him, and they have all been either here or at the US Open. Do you feel like the setting and home-court advantage has been the difference?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, played big points but better. You know, just luck has been a little on my side. I've played some bigger points a bit better. Not much in the matches. One break each set and this guy won a set in New York.

In New York I was winning pretty convincingly. I let him back in there. Tight in the fourth, could have easily went five there. God knows. They closed the roof and it was hot as shit. Sorry.

Yeah, that could have been bad. But obviously I got out of there. He's a good player. I think he's super underrated. He's got a lot of game. Just a matter of putting it together.

Q. You were in the Commanders colors. What do you make of current developments with the team, move back to D.C. and all the conversation about the blocking the funding?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Talking about the Redskins shit?

Q. Wherever you want to go with that.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Look, man, obviously you got the big boss says something that's a little different than if I say it, for sure.

I mean, look, it is what it is. We'll see how it ends up shaking up. Ultimately I don't really care. I just want the team to go back to D.C. What that looks like, that's above my pay grade.

But I love -- obviously the stadium has been there forever, but I would love for it to be in D.C. I think it would be great for the city. And I'm from Maryland. But the stadium is old, man. We need new life, and I think Jayden did an incredible job of giving them new life. I think the city, it being in D.C., would help the city a ton.

Q. Something that might be still in your pay grade, how did you kind of collab with Lululemon to get the specific colors on this one? Anything you're looking forward to debuting in New York in a couple of weeks?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I got some heat coming in New York, for sure. I can't wait to rock that. I got some heat coming in New York.

They know how much I love the Commanders, so it was their idea. I wasn't really planning on it. They were, like, What do you think about wearing Commanders colors at the Citi Open?

I was, like, What do I think? It's a go if you're serious.

They've been blue skies with everything. They just try to make me happy and do whatever they can and spice it up and do some cool stuff. They're the best brand in the world and happy to be part of it and happy to be able to push that brand forward.

They definitely don't need me to continue to do the amazing things they have done, and the fact they want me to be a part of it speaks volumes. Yeah, it's been great.