The last American to win a Grand Slam was Andy Roddick 20 years ago. Frances Tiafoe hopes to end the drought. In fact, he knows he can.
The 26-year-old American champion sent Flushing Meadows into a frenzy last September and his star has risen.
It is not enough. He wants more.
“My goal is to try to win the Grand Slam and get into the top 10,” Tiafoe told Dailymail.com exclusively from his hotel room in Nice last week.
“These are my basic goals. I’m really knocking on the door of the top 10. How much can I win? I don’t know. But I know I can win one.
Frances Tiafoe regained fame and shared a photo with NBA icon LeBron James in April
The American heads into Sunday’s French Open with confidence despite his record
Tiafoe, 26, seen with girlfriend and former NCAA national champion Ayan Broomfield, 25
For a nation that prides itself on producing tennis talent, ultimate success in the men’s game has been lacking for some years.
However, there is a wave of excitement that one man could change America’s outlook. ‘Big Foe’ is now a sporting celebrity in his native country and will be one to watch at Sunday’s French Open.
“It’s definitely day and night,” he said. While his newfound fame after the US Open semi-final has its pitfalls, the Maryland native is able to stay cooped up due to his surroundings.
“I have a great team around me,” he said. They keep me grounded, keep me humble.
“Having people around you who generally care about you is so important, not just people around you who are here because of who you are or who you come from. You get a lot of yeses. I think I think as I progressed, I tried less and less to eliminate my circle and that helped me a lot.
Tennis remains the primary focus, but what comes with superstardom is more than wholesome ovations in stadiums around the world. There is pressure and expectation, nothing more than internal, but it all adds to the burden on Tiafoe’s shoulders.
“From a mental point of view, it’s difficult,” he said. “Obviously there are times when your time is very limited; you’re doing a lot more, you’re being asked to do a lot more, the expectations, people are expecting you to do things, so it’s kind of about keeping a clear head.
Tiafoe established himself in the tennis world with a run to the US Open semi-finals last year
The world No. 12 has never made it past the second round on the clay courts of Roland Garros
The world No.12 American – who will face Serbian No.92-ranked Filip Krajinovic in the first round on Sunday – has never made it past the second round of Roland Garros. However, he played on clay in Houston last month, winning his second career ATP title.
‘I’m pretty excited. To arrive with a fairly good state of mind this year. Obviously my highest rank, so I’m super excited to go there,” he said.
Tiafoe was ranked 11th in the world last month. With the likes of clay king Rafael Nadal, Nick Kyrgios and Matteo Berrettini, the tournament is more open for a deeper run for the great American prospect.
After relative success in New York last summer, Tiafoe lost a tough four-set match to Russian Karen Khachanov (No. 20) at the Australian Open in the third round. While the result may have surprised onlookers, Tiafoe doesn’t view every tournament that doesn’t result in a title as an objective failure.
“The media is so quick to say ‘Why isn’t he already in the top five? Why isn’t it X, Y, Z? “, Did he declare.
Tiafoe pictured relaxing on vacation in November 2022 during the tennis offseason
Eventually, Tiafoe was defeated at Flushing Meadows in five sets by Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.
‘Sometimes you want to do well, and it didn’t quite work out but, you know, the work stays the same and you know, even if I win a Grand Slam, I have to keep working, if I don’t don’t, we have to keep working.
The demands that come with being one of the biggest faces on tour provide a reality far from Tiafoe’s impoverished existence after her parents immigrated from Sierra Leone.
“I want to take care of my family,” Tiafoe said of her motivations. “Sometimes you want to be a normal guy, but on the other hand you get all the benefits of doing well. It’s a Catch-22. It obviously needs an adjustment, that’s for sure.
“There’s a lot more obligation, so on the other hand, just understanding why you did it in the first place. I’m doing it because I love the game, I love being out there, I like to play against the best players in the world and see what I can do.
Tiafoe showed he could play on clay last month, winning the U.S. Clay Court Championship
Despite outside expectations on the great American hope, Tiafoe is focused on filling his own cup
Above all else, Tiafoe is comfortable with himself, though there are moments and moods that belie the glamorous life of one of tennis’ top players.
“Everyone just assumes that since you’re doing well, everything around you is great — but that’s not necessarily true,” he said.
“I’m just me in every way. I’m cool, I do well and what that entails and I’m cool not to do the things other people expect of me and what that entails.
Naturally, expectations in the world of American tennis are growing, but Tiafoe can drown out the clamor.
“I’m just trying to fulfill my expectations of myself,” he said.
Tiafoe has partnered with BetterHelpthe world’s largest online therapy platform, to provide up to $3 million in FREE therapy and increase awareness and access to mental health resources.
