Tiafoe labels his epic victory over Michelsen: "It has been a Braveheart-type victory"

Although history tells us that nothing is impossible for an American when playing in New York, this time, there were two who met on the Arthur Ashe. Alex Michelsen was just one game away from reaching the semifinals of the 2026 US Open, until Frances Tiafoe showed up to change those plans.

It's a delight to see how much a story can change in just a few minutes. Michelsen was serving at 5-4 in the third set to cap off a memorable performance, but it's right at that game when the wind starts to shift. Tiafoe, an expert at leaning on the crowd when things go wrong, pulls off that set and from that moment on, nothing would be the same. No one better than the winner of the match to explain how he was able to maintain faith in such a critical situation.

Tiafoe analyzes his epic comeback against Michelsen

"The moment is huge, it can't be minimized at all. I've won many important matches here and I've also lost many tough matches here. It's incredible to have accomplished this. And the way it happened: two sets to zero down, him serving to win, me down a break early in the fifth. There were so many moments when I was behind. I could have even been down double break in the third. It was crazy. It was definitely a Braveheart-type win. It's probably pretty high up on the list of my all-time Grand Slam victories. I don't know exactly where, but it's pretty high."

This is what Tiafoe thought when he served to avoid losing the match

"That's tennis. You're going to win some and lose others. I wasn't thinking about that. I wasn't thinking about how many tough matches I've had. If anything, it was about time I had some luck, right? Because I've had those matches, but I've also won many important matches in Grand Slams and other tournaments. No, I wasn't thinking about that. I was just trying to stay in the moment and keep fighting, because it's the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. You have to leave it all out there. In the end, I was calm with any result because I was giving it everything I had that day, even though I wasn't playing my best tennis."

The exact moment when Tiafoe clicked

"It was slow, it was flat. I'm very critical of myself. It wasn't good, let's put it that way. The best-of-five format is a blessing because you have time to fix things. I definitely waited until the last moment. Then I was able to turn it around. I found the momentum, started to see some balls inside the court, got into the rallies, came to the net, and found good shots to make the crowd react. It's tennis. You see a small window, you see turning points. One single point can suddenly put you in a battle four hours later. Tennis is a unique sport for that."

What has changed in Frances Tiafoe since 2022?

"I'm a different person overall. Those two semifinals were great moments, something I will cherish forever, but I'm no longer the person I was when I reached a semifinal in 2022 or when I did it in 2024. I'm not that person. I'm excited to see what this version of me can do on Friday. I'm simply where my feet are. I'm very excited. I'm super thrilled, but I don't feel like it's something like 'Oh my god.' I just want to continue. I just want to keep going."

Tiafoe defends the best-of-five format in Grand Slam

"One hundred percent. I think in men's tennis we should keep the best-of-five. I don't know where the conversation is going or what people think. Everyone is going to have an opinion. We've seen so many epic battles in best-of-five. Do I love five-set matches? Absolutely not. Many times, when I'm up two sets to zero, I'd love to shake hands and go home. But it's tennis. I grew up watching so many incredible five-set matches: Djokovic-Nadal, Federer-Nadal, epic matches that last for hours and hours. That is the history of this sport. Personally, I think a Grand Slam means less if you win it playing best-of-three."

Is Tiafoe a contender to win the 2026 US Open?

"Obviously, I've had a good year, but I hadn't had a good year in the Grand Slams until this point. I've been very routine-oriented all year, continuously following a routine. Ideally, every day feels the same. Winning becomes a habit, so I'm going to take it for what it is. We have two days, which is great. I can prepare for the final push of this tournament. I'm going to take it day by day and enjoy this now. I will be ready on Friday. I have higher expectations for myself. The tournament continues, there’s still a lot of tennis to play, many sets to go, and a lot of physical work to do. Let's enjoy it, but we have to keep going."

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tiafoe bautiza su épico triunfo ante Michelsen: "Ha sido una victoria tipo Braveheart"