US OPEN

September 4, 2026

Frances Tiafoe

Press Conference

F. TIAFOE/ V. Vacherot

6-4, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Frances, congratulations. Moving on. Straight sets, under two hours. Your thoughts?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I thought it was a really good performance from me today. I returned well. It was nice to get relatively early breaks in every set.

Yeah, I mean, I only had 13 unforced. I served much better than I have been in the last recent matches, even matches in Cincinnati.

Yeah, it was a good match. It was the best I've played, for sure, in this event.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You spent a lot of time this offseason on your body getting ready for the physicality of the tour life. I feel like at this point of the season, a lot of these guys are mentally and physically pretty fatigued. Do you feel like that extra work on the offseason with your gallon-a-day challenge has helped you out and carried through this season?

FRANCES TIAFOE: No, man, no question. It's helped me out mentally more than anything. You know, I mean, up to this point, I haven't won this many matches up to this point in my career.

Yeah, I mean, it's created a lifestyle, man, just trying to get up and do it, do hard things every day. I just felt good. I feel good, even though I've got some kinks and little niggles and injuries. Overall, I feel good, I feel mentally ready, able to perform at a high level often, which that wasn't the case before.

Yeah, I definitely put a lot to that.

Q. (Question about Ruby's.)

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, yeah, man, I'm happy I'm off that, man. I was eating way too much in Cincinnati (smiling).

Q. When you're serving as well as you were, technically what's working for you in the serve?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I'm not a big technique guy. But, I mean, I was just in good rhythm, not rushing, not leaning forward up, kind of going up and out rather than falling forward. So that's just kind of the biggest thing to get you in a good serving rhythm.

Yeah, ultimately just felt really good, and it helps get matches in and out pretty quick.

Q. I just wanted to ask about your relationship with Armstrong, the court. I know you said on the court, I'll see you back here. Obviously you want to play your next match on there. I don't know if you've ever lost on Armstrong?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Back-to-back interviews doing that.

Q. Have you been requesting it up to this point, to play on Armstrong?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I may or may not have been doing that, yeah. I just enjoy it. I enjoy it. I mean, it's been good. I've won a lot of matches on Ashe, as well. I started there and kind of just kept going and I've really been enjoying it.

Yeah, I mean, just great energy in there. A lot of talking, a lot of things going on. But it's just good energy. They get behind me. It's nice, because, you know, no suites and stuff. I find that people are actually watching the tennis. Yeah, and the grounds passes for guys. It's cool. It's a cool court.

Q. Fritz said he doesn't think so much about some of the big guns not being here or losing early, because, as he said, I'm not going to face those guys until, like, the semis anyway, so the tournament is the same for me. Do you think about it that way, as well, or are you thinking, like, one of these big guys, given where your ranking is, you're not going to run into one of those guys early on in the tournament, in either the third round, fourth round, where you've been hitting them the last couple of years?

FRANCES TIAFOE: I mean, I think the exact same thing, yeah. All the slams I've lost this year, I wasn't concerned with Sinner or Alcaraz. I didn't lose to them. Lost to the field.

I think the same thing. You've got to beat the guys in front of you. If you get those type of matchups, then okay, handle that when you get there.

Yeah, I mean, tournament, it's pretty much irrelevant. It's all about beating the guy in front of you and trying to at least continue to advance and see how guys handle pressure. As you get later, you know, fourth round, we're starting the second week, and we'll see how the guys are going to handle it as we go now.

Q. You talked about your serve. Whenever you're getting a ball from a ball crew, what are you looking for with the ball? Is there a certain amount of fluff?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Yeah, less felt on the first serve, more felt on the second. So put a, quote, unquote, fluffier ball in my pocket for a second serve, least felt on the ball for a first serve.

Hopefully if I get a good hit, it doesn't come back. That's kind of the mindset. Some guys don't care, but I think a lot of guys are going to operate that way.

Q. Not really a set routine with it? It's just kind of a feeling if you get it in...

FRANCES TIAFOE: No, I mean, you're just feeling it and just pick 'em out.

Q. You said that you have been experiencing just a few niggles and things like that. Are you compensating for that at all with your playing style? Are you trying to do anything a little bit differently to compensate with your body or not thinking about it when you step on court?

FRANCES TIAFOE: Just trying to win. Just trying to win in a quicker fashion, I guess. I mean, I've got to run, man. No way around it. I've got to run a lot when I play. I'm not doing anything.

Just trying to win maybe not in five sets in such long matches. That will help you out.