Tiafoe shares his recipe for success in New York: "Having the bigger balls"

In the end, many times it’s a matter of having guts. More or less, this is the idea that Frances Tiafoe offered in his last press conference at the US Open, where he already occupies a seat in the quarter-finals. The American defeated Daniil Medvedev in straight sets a few hours ago and once again sparked excitement among the spectators. Will he be able to take the title home at the end of the week? For now, we hear him reflect on how he managed to beat the Russian so decisively.

Frances Tiafoe analyzes his victory against Medvedev at the US Open

“The most important thing on the mental aspect, before getting into the tennis part, for me is, number one, to show up every week. Many times people say: ‘Oh, it’s August Foe’, or whatever. You have to forget about that. You show up every week, right? Obviously, I had some physical problems, injuries, I had to retire in Montreal. After Wimbledon, it was tough until I could sort things out. Other than that, I’ve been showing up every week. It shows. I’ve won 47 matches. I’ve never achieved that in my career. It has been quite irregular, with a pretty tight win-loss record. That was the most important thing. Then, obviously, with my game, it’s just about playing to win. Playing aggressively, using all my arsenal at the right moment. It has been working well.”

Floating with the crowd on your side

“It’s a transcendental experience, without a doubt. There’s no real way to explain that kind of feeling. It’s like at some point you aren’t even touching the ground. The energy is so high, and it feels like the level of play is up to par. At the end of the tiebreak, every point was crazy. They get excited, I’m all in. This is fun, regardless of what happens. Those moments are incredible. Obviously, in tennis, there’s only one winner, but sometimes you feel like the game has won. It’s quite amazing.”

Undefeated at Louis Armstrong

“You don’t have to dig too deep into that. It is what it is, man. Armstrong is crazy. It’s just a matter of energy. The courts, the dimensions, everything is the same on each court. The energy is incredible. I kept asking for it. Obviously, it’s already done, and I’m happy to leave with a 10-0 on that court. We’ll leave that for next year. See you never, maybe. It’s been fun. The more I can enjoy and have fun, it seems I can bring out my best tennis, and that’s exactly what it represents. When you feel so comfortable and have won so much on a court, you have that little extra dose of confidence to think you can do anything there.”

Frances Tiafoe and his honest recipe for success in New York

“In tiebreaks, you just have to be brave. You have to go for it. At 5-5, I overcooked the backhand, just too much. At 6-5, I had the forehand in the center. I wanted to go forward and go for it. If I lose the tiebreak with that, I’m totally okay with it. You can’t hesitate. The format is so short that it can slip away from you. You have to be the one with the biggest guts to do it, for sure.”

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tiafoe da su receta para avanzar en Nueva York: “Tener los huevos más grandes”