NEW YORK – When Francis Tierfoe walked to the court for his first round game at the US Open on Monday, he knew it could be the last time he played at Arthur Ash Stadium.
It wasn’t his far less seasoned foe Yoshihito Nishino, which plagued him in Cincinnati earlier this month, and not even the lack of confidence that made him feel that way. It runs through his head every time he steps into Arthur Ashe Stadium, the world’s largest tennis stadium.
“It’s just a goose bump,” Tearfoe told ESPN earlier this month about what it would be like to play on the court. “I’m so inspired by (Ash) and I never want to make it a given. There’s no guarantee in life. Obviously, I have only 27, but I think this is the last time I’ve played on this court.
No. 17 seed Tiafoe did that Monday. In front of a rather afternoon crowd during a humid summer day, Tiafoe was impressed with his trademark showmanship. With a strong serving, thriving with the frequent roars and chants of partisan fans, he won 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory to advance to the second round. He sealed the victory with the ace that day, the 19th, and gave the crowd a nod as he walked over to the net.
Six matches still stand between Tiafoe and his ultimate goal. This is because he first picked up a racket as a young child at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland, and his father worked in maintenance. However, it appears he can head to another deep New York run. A semi-finalist at the 2022 and 2024 tournaments, Tierfour has become an emotional leader and fan favorite among Americans, and appears poised to photograph the 22-year major drought among the group.
However, he tries to prevent the pressure from reaching him during his home slam. He simply accepts it and tries to make it fuel for him.
“There’s a different level of excitement here,” Tierfoe told ESPN. “I’m trying to bring the best level and compete. It’s fun, man. I just don’t want to look back and regret it all. Everything I do is with a smile on my face.
“And for now, the story continues.”
Tearfoe made a major breakthrough at the Australian Open when they reached the first quarterfinals at the Australian Open in 2019, but it was the US Open that transformed from an exciting young player into an emerging superstar in the sport in 2022.
Play – Where else? -Arthur Ashe Stadium, Tiafoe did the important job of facing Rafael Nadal in the fourth round. Nadal was trying to make history as the first man to win the first two slams of the year and win the 23rd major title. Tiafoe, who never even took a set with Nadal, knew it would be a difficult fight. However, he expressed confidence ahead of the match.
And with 24,000 fans watching, Tiafoe backed up his words with one of the best matches of his career. With 3 hours and 34 minutes in mind, Tiafoe has 18 aces, 49 winners and one inspiring point (and celebration) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory.
That match holds a respected place in his heart three years later.
“To be honest, there’s no better moment than beating Rafa on centre court other than winning the tournament,” Tierfoe said. “There’s no other victory that makes me feel that way. It’s something you dream of, and that’s it. He’s one of the people I always respect, and it was very special. He’s the pinnacle of all sports.
And he hasn’t made a mistake in his game in New York ever since. A famous basketball fan, he attracted Kevin Durant, Bradley Beale, Page Bookers and Kevin Garnett to his game. LeBron James and Joel Embiid posted support on social media.
“I think he’s the most influential player on the Tour,” fellow American and two-time major champion Coco Gough said earlier this month. “All celebrities know him, he knows all the celebrities, and he is mentioned in two rap songs. So, I think he’s pretty iconic, but the energy is real and I think he loves the sport even more just by knowing his backstory and history.”
On Monday, the crowd was sparse when the match began – fans may have needed a short break after Renata Zarazua’s thrilling three-set victory over the Madison Keys – that ended a while ago – but it continued to grow in size as the contest continued. And no matter how many people were in the stands, the Tearfoe looked energized after mustard and migos’ “pure water” was played at the start of the warm-up.
More fans drove into the seats as the matches became more and more competition in the second set. There was a chant of “Let’s Go, Frances, Let’s Go” and a frequent “come”, Big Foe! “Cheers forever. Many of the crowd gave him a standing ovation after scoring key points following a long rally in the sixth match of the second set. He raised his arms in the celebration, and the crowd cried out more.
And Tiafoe appeared to feed the fans and their energy during the tiebreaker of the second set, which fought hard. He was grateful for the continued support of the fans when he spoke to ESPN before the tournament. And it seemed he understood why he resonated so much with the crowd.
“I think everyone loves being themselves, right?” Teafoe said. “I think people can feel the passion I play, and everyone wants to feel better and feel a part of something. When I’m running, I think it’s more than just me. People want to be part of that ride.
Tiafoe will then play on Wednesday, facing fellow American Martin Damm. He defeated Darwin Blanche on straight sets on Monday through qualifying.
With his humble origin story, Everyman persona, infectious energy, Tiafoe is licked equally among his peers as he is fans. Amanda Anisimova, who reached the final at Wimbledon in July, recently called him “one of my favourites,” while reciting the frequent hilarious messages he sends to her. Taylor Fritz, a top-ranked American who beat Tier Four in the semi-finals at the US Open last year, called him one of his best friends and praised him for his ability to not take himself too seriously.
“Francis is kind of thing,” Fritz said Sunday. “We’ve always been really good. The best way to explain our relationship is (and) why we’re doing so well, we can both laugh a lot at ourselves.
Playing last week’s mixed doubles event alongside his longtime mate, Tierfour, he was seen hyping his friends, including Fritz and Jessica Pegura, prior to their matches, even after his own first round defeat. While talking to ESPN for this story in the busy, busy hallways of the Cincinnati Open, Tiafoe playfully bullied Emmanavaro, the 2024 US Open semi-finalist who had signed a nearby poster. “Emma really doesn’t talk to me,” he said as he walked and jokingly rolled his eyes. “She’s too big.”
Ranked 10th and with three tour titles, Tiafoe has become his beloved figure in tournaments around the world. Earlier this summer, he arrived in his first quarterfinals at the French Open and did not drop a set in the middle of the final eight. But despite his success and popularity elsewhere, everything leading up to the hard court swing of North America at the end of the summer is his preparation. There’s nothing more important to him than this part of the season. The US Open is his Super Bowl. “Handdown, (it’s) the best event in the world,” he said before Monday’s game.
It is unclear which court will hold Tiafoe’s match against DAMM this week, but if he continues to win, there is no doubt that he will return to Ash in the next two weeks.
And, according to him, it gives him an edge that others can claim – and only helps him get even closer to his childhood dreams in front of a crowd who doesn’t want to see anything more.
“That’s the same goal as last year, and every year I just want to win it,” Teafoe said. “I know in that court, I’m dangerous. I can lose to many people in a week (during the season), but playing with Ash allows anyone in the world to beat. I really believe it.”
