US OPEN

September 6, 2026

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

F. TIAFOE/D. Medvedev

7-6, 6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Frances, congratulations. Three hours, straight sets, quarterfinals. Your thoughts.

FRANCES TIAFOE: Hell of a match. Really good match. A lot of back-and-forth, obviously. A lot of breaks today, good returning from guys.

Yeah, I mean, I played well today. I played well when it counted. Yeah, I came up with some crazy stuff, but it had to be that good against such a quality player in Daniil.

Yeah, I knew what I had to do, and it's all about execution. Happy I was able to do it today.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You talked at the beginning of the year about how you had those tough conversations with your team about refocusing and motivation and all of that. Wondering, as you were trying to do that on the mental side, how you looked at your game, if there was any part you feel like were able to focus on this year that has gotten better, where you've said, I've really done this a lot better, and that's helped me have this really nice year?

FRANCES TIAFOE: The biggest thing on the mental side, to go into the tennis stuff is, for me, number one, showing up every week. Because a lot of times people are like, Oh, it's August Foe, or whatever. Like, get rid of that. You show up every single week, right?

Obviously I had some niggles, had some injuries. I had to retire in Montreal, whatever. And after Wimbledon, it was tough until I got things taken care of.

Outside of that, I've been showing up every week. It shows. 47 matches won. I hadn't had that in my career. It was super up and down, win/loss record is pretty tight. That was, like, the biggest thing.

Then obviously, you know, with my game, it's just play to win. You know, play aggressive, use my whole, you know, arsenal at the right time. It's been working well.

Q. Besides your good tennis, you had a nice looking jumper at the end there. Did you have a relationship with Dybantsa yet, and does he know you said two nights ago in here they're going to win next year?

FRANCES TIAFOE: No, AJ, I've known AJ for a few years now. I know his dad. Funny, I actually met him at F1 a few years ago. I actually had no idea who he was.

Yeah, then we became really close. Obviously he's an insane player. Super happy to have him in D.C. We've already connected up there and stuff. He said he was going to come up if I went into the weekend.

It was cool. It was cool to have him, cool to have him there, Oladipo there, and obviously, you know, legend Lisa Leslie. That was a pretty cool section over there.

They threw up the jumper, and I was like, I'll throw it back.

Q. You cited that Romans 8:18 quote a few times this year. I'm curious if you feel like if now is the glory or it's still somewhere off in the distance?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I don't know. It stands true every day. Every day is a different challenge, but I mean, from where I was to, you know, to what I'm doing now, 100% stands true.

Still true, you know, when I said it to myself after French Open, and then, you know, how they happened shortly after. I mean, that's one of my scriptures, for sure, for a reason. It's so true.

You just have to keep going. Life is going to hit you. It's not always peaches and cream every day. You have to get yourself up, talk to the man in the mirror, and continue to go.

Q. I want to ask about your next opponent in Alex Michelsen. You've played a couple times before. Just what you think of facing him, and also, you'll almost certainly be playing on Ashe for the first time, so how the transition will be out of the house that Tiafoe built over on Armstrong?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, still working on, like, the lights and the interior design on Louis. (Laughter.)

Yeah, it's going to be great. I mean, Alex is a hell of a player. He's young. He's going to juiced up. We've played a few times. We have a good relationship. We're always laughing and joking.

I'm excited to face him. He's going to be excited to face me. Let the best man win.

Q. Following up on that, he said that he remembers when he was about 12 your match against Federer in 2017 here. What are your earliest memories of Michelsen? What have you seen in his development?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Well, I mean, it's amazing that he's in the quarterfinals at 13, you know what I mean? (Laughter.) You know what I'm saying?

No, but I mean, I saw him, he had longer hair before, balding a bit. I see him in challengers and he was winning a bunch with Lotto and stuff. I had no idea who this kid was. Man, this guy is killing it. I could see his name, winning and winning.

That was kind of my first impression with him, but I seen him here. I remember I played Learner a bunch of years ago here, and he hit a backhand return. He's, like, Oh, that's Djokovic. I'm, like, Who is this kid?

He's funny, man. He's really funny. I'm excited to play him. Super happy for him.

Q. What impresses you most about his game right now?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Man, he's playing the right away. Got a real coach, playing much more aggressive. His serve is improving. He comes forward. Kind of has an all-court game, which is pretty remarkable for how young he is.

Q. You've long said those kind of atmospheres are why you play this game, but what's it really like to be in the stadium like that when the whole crowd is lifting you up?

FRANCES TIAFOE: It's an out-of-body experience, no question. No real explaining that type of feeling. It's like you're not even touching the ground at one point. Energy is so high, and it seems like the level of play matches that.

End of the breaker, every point was just stupid. They get excited. I'm amped up. This is a fun time regardless. Those moments, obviously tennis, only one winner, but you feel like the game won it sometimes. It's pretty cool.

Q. You're probably too focused at the moment playing tennis, but of all the chants and cheers that people say in supporting you, where do you rank or how do you like the "1, 2, 3, Foe" that's really caught on in Armstrong, if you've noticed?

FRANCES TIAFOE: If I've noticed? (Laughter.)

Man, I mean, it started in Cincinnati. I was, like, That's kind of cool. And then, you know, it came out here in the Northeast. Obviously it's becoming a thing.

I mean, it's cool. Fans love it. I thought it was annoying, actually, at first, I'm not going to lie to you.

Now it's starting to grow on me. I actually started to like it quite a lot. I'll put it up there. I'll put it up there.

Q. Why do you think it was annoying?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, Cincy it was absurd. I was playing second on, after 7:00, and guys were lit and saying it every other point.

It's funny when you're winning, but there was times where, like, I wasn't doing so well in the match, and I'm like, I'm not trying to hear that.

But, I mean, obviously, you know, they just want to see me win and do well. It's been cool, and it's something the fans can get excited about. It's awesome.

Q. Obviously you've talked a lot about Armstrong and the atmosphere, but in terms of just the tactical advantage, or if there is a tactical advantage, is there a difference in just the way you're able to see the ball or play the ball in certain ways compared to Ashe that have helped you?

FRANCES TIAFOE: You ain't got to get that deep with it. It just is what it is, man. I mean, Armstrong is crazy. It's just an energy thing. You know, courts, dimensions, everything is the same on every court. Energy is insane. I kept requesting it.

Obviously it's done, and I'm happy I get to leave on the 10-0 record on that court. We'll save it for next year. See you never, maybe. It's just been fun.

More and more I can enjoy myself and have fun, it seems like I can bring my best stuff out, and that's kind of what that is.

Yeah, but also, when you felt so comfortable and won so much on a court, you just have that extra little belief like I feel like I can do anything on that court.

Q. Wondering if you won two tiebreakers today, does something go through your head that's different in a pressure point, a different mentality to how you approach a pressure point versus a point that's maybe earlier in the set?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah. I mean, breakers, it's just being courageous. You gotta go get it. Obviously at 5-All, I overcooked the backhand, just overcooked it. 6-5, had the forehand in the middle. I want to come and come get it. If I lose the breaker off this, I'm totally okay with it. You can't hope. You know, the format is so short, it can get away from you.

Yeah, I mean, you just gotta, it's the person who has, you know, the biggest balls to kind of do it, for sure.