US OPEN

August 22, 2025

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

An interview with:

FRANCES TIAFOE

THE MODERATOR: Frances, welcome. Your thoughts as you get ready for this US Open.

FRANCES TIAFOE: It's exciting. Excited be out here. Number 11. Jesus. A lot of US Opens.

But super excited to get out here once again. Best couple of weeks of our game, for sure, without a question. Just really happy to get out here and compete at the highest level and start my quest.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Last year you came in here right after the Cincinnati final. You were kind of on fire, like sitting in that chair, raring to go. Could you compare how that was last year to how you're feeling now? Is it the kind of thing you get on these grounds and you get a big jolt of energy, or does it have to do with how you're playing beforehand?

FRANCES TIAFOE: No, I know every year has been different. That was the first year I actually played well before coming into the Open, like the couple weeks leading up.

Basically, I am feeling healthy. I'm feeling good. I think it is basically a matter of I played a couple good matches in Cincinnati. Had to obviously pull out. I'm feeling better day by day. Feeling better and better. Close to 100%.

If I'm 100%, how I feel out here competing, I'm gonna be straight, I'm gonna be good, exactly where I want to be. I've had so many good memories of this place. It's like second nature.

Q. Your relationship with Tommy Paul, do you remember when you guys first got to know each other and what your first impressions were when you were kids?

FRANCES TIAFOE: That was my guy, for sure. I have known him since I was 11, he was 12, or I was 10 and he was 11. Played Under-12s, played all the tournaments.

Yeah, I mean, we hang out all the time. We are always super close. We're different, for sure, in a lot of ways. I mean, we are both very relaxed and chill, and have conversations, hang out, drink, relax. He's a cool guy. Hell of a player, as well. Hell of a player.

Q. Did you have rivalries as kids a little bit?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Absolutely, for sure. All of us were.

Q. What is it like to witness what Carlos and Jannik have done the last two years and to realize that it's most likely to win a major you have to go through them?

FRANCES TIAFOE: It is what it is. I don't really know the answer to that. But it is what it is.

There's always been guys, quote unquote, they are gatekeepers of the tour. Those are the two guys doing it. Not to mention the guy that just walked out the room. Right? You can't ever count him out.

But ultimately, yeah, if you want to win one, you got to beat those guys. Because it is what it is. Respect those guys. Incredible players. So young. They're going to be at the top of the game for a while.

We can't be out there just putting them on a pedestal. We gotta beat them, like, if you want to do anything special.

I have a ton of respect for those guys, but at the same time, if we link up in the draw, I feel I can beat them.

Q. What are your observations about what's made their rivalry special?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, I really like how different they are. Sinner is ice cold. Carlos, I mean, is unbelievable game, plays the crowd. They're both moving incredible. One guy that hits the ball super hard, and the other guy plays all-court game.

Yeah, they produce insane matches. It's been fun to watch and fun to see them guys grow and continue to play at the highest level.

Yeah, I mean, they are going to be incredible for a long time.

Q. Coco was talking about the importance of having big brands involved in tennis and how important the fashion side of things is. Wondered if that's something that you think about or that she was talking about it does make a big difference to her that she's wearing stuff she believes in and looks and feels good. Is that something you ever think about?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Of course, man. You look good, you feel good, you play good. It's really that simple, for sure. Hence why I'm wearing a hat and need a haircut, man (smiling).

It's just different. She is wearing like the Miu Miu stuff on fire. Of course, man, you're always going to feel really good if you feel good and look good.

Q. How did Lululemon come about? Did they sort of approach you? Did they feel there was a synergy straightaway?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Lululemon?

Q. Yeah.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, man. Obviously I'd been with Nike for a lot of years. I wanted to go to the market to see what the market was like. There's a lot of interest for me in the market, and more than Nike did. Obviously, I had opportunities to be the face of a brand which was a different mindset.

You know, I can build, and they can grow, and they can brand me. They are at their best at the highest level. I kind of decided, Why not do something different? Why not be 'the' guy instead of one of them? There are a couple decent guys, a couple decent athletes, that are over at Nike (smiling). It was nice to kind of be the face of a brand, for sure.

Q. Incredible moments here in each of the last three years. Just wonder, are there lessons from each of those years or those years collectively that stick with you, and maybe that they will help you feel that there is a level here that you have yet to unlock and maybe those lessons can keep pushing you to that level?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, I mean, a lot of highs here, man. Obviously some tough endings, for sure. A ton of highs.

I think the journey is just kind of the same every time of what I want to do. I think the biggest thing is just allowing yourself to do it, right? Don't be the reason why you don't do it, right? Getting out of your own way. Nothing wrong being what it is.

Don't be fighting yourself in tough moments. Go be brave, go be courageous. That's the ultimate thing in a slam. You have to be brave, you got to back yourself, you got to be be super courageous. You have to take it when it's there, otherwise the window of opportunity is so small as you get deep in the slams. And you got to want it more than the other guy.

Q. There is always that mention of the US Open men players, who is going to win it. Do you feel like there is an additional pressure or does that motivate you or you don't even think about it because you come to the US Open, you play your best tennis in general?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Guys have been knocking on the door. It's been tough. But obviously, I have been thinking about that realistically for probably four years. I mean, before that, I didn't really think it was a drought. I just think it was a Roger, Novak, Rafa issue, Murray. You're not winning a slam. There's a lot of other guys. Your flag was irrelevant (smiling).

Yeah, now I think the game is super open. A lot of other guys have chances. Yeah, it builds in added pressure and added excitement, as well. You're, like, wow, a lot of different guys can do that, and especially the American guys. It's, like, four or five guys that could do it. It's like, are you going to be the guy or be the guy that watch that guy do it? It's fun. Fun to be a part of.

Q. Kind of a tough one, but we had Jannik, who is this incredible ball striker, and Carlos with his athleticism, his variety. Years from now, who do you think is more likely to emerge with the better record in this sport?

FRANCES TIAFOE: In the slams?

Q. In slams, yeah.

FRANCES TIAFOE: It's, like, a funny question. I have been asked that so many times. It's a funny question, because I'm playing in real time. Yeah, why don't you have 20? You have 20? I'm sitting here with zero.

If I had to honestly do it, I'm taking Carlos. I mean, all-court game. It's very, very tight, but I'm still taking Carlos. As I first mentioned, they're going to get interrupted. It just has to happen. I can't see them playing the finals every week.

To answer your question, I'm not even tapping in anymore. It's too much. It's all right, Okay. I get it. I get it. We need something new. The game needs something new. I love those guys. Shout out to both those guys. We need something new.

Q. Speaking of needing something new, you have spoken about like sort of tennis modernizing itself and maybe being like other sports. Would you like to see things loosen up in terms of the etiquette between players? Like that thing that happened at the track meet in Oregon a couple of weeks ago when Lyles and Bednarek had that happen in their sport, like if that happened in tennis, it would be...

FRANCES TIAFOE: Bonkers.

Q. It would be crazy bonkers. You're an NBA fan, that stuff happens every quarter in an NBA game and life just goes on. Fans like it, crowds like it. Would that ever fit in or would you like to see it fit in?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Obviously in a different way. At the end of the day it is a gentleman's sport, quote unquote. Would I love it? Absolutely, man. I'd love to be like, I don't like you. It's like two guys who just don't, and you battle it out. You can feel that. It's anticipation. For y'all, you can write about it and talk about it.

I wish there was a lot more of that, because, I mean, like you lose a tough match. Oh, man, I'm so happy for you. No, you're not. (Laughter.) Like, you're not. You're just not.

But again, with respect to the game and how it has been going for so many years, you say those certain things. But it would be cool to see the game go that way. Ultimately it's a gentleman's game. But why not? Shake it up a little bit, right? Within reason. I'm always a fan for that, no question.