Tiafoe: “I would play tennis for free”

He wears a huge smile, he plays with the audience and the format fits him like a glove. Frances Tiafoe made his debut at the Laver Cup and made a name for himself in the best possible way: he won his match against Daniil Medvedev (3-6, 6-4, 10-5) to give Team World the lead (4-2 before Alcaraz’s victory that put the two teams back on level terms, 4-4).

Recent semi-finalist of the US Open, Tiafoe seems to have rediscovered his tennis after a complicated year, where he had dropped to 30th place in the world. If he is playing very well again, it is also thanks to a better attitude on the court and an immense rediscovered pleasure.

“It’s just funny to see everybody else kind of out of their element and loosening up a little bit and just enjoy playing at a high level. I think that’s the biggest thing, you want to enjoy playing at the highest level. It’s great. It’s really cool having teammates, really cool having teammates. Guys that are the best in the world, seeing their perspectives on the match, it’s pretty cool,” he explained in a press conference after the victory.

Tiafoe feels so strongly that he says he could play the sport without receiving any money. “Now obviously I have a great coach, great team, I’m just having fun again. And knowing that I would do this for free, it’s like all the hype and all this and, like, I would play tennis for free. I just love playing tennis. I love people appreciating what I got to do out there, and that’s kind of what it is. I think I have a huge level of gratitude to the game and respect for the game at the moment,” he said, far from the statements that have flourished in recent years, especially those of Kyrgios or Bublik who did not hide their distaste for tennis.

If Team World win the event, Tiafoe will receive $250,000, not including what he was promised for his participation in the competition.

“Looking back, I’m playing the best tennis of my life”

Excruciating close to a first Grand Slam final at the US Open (he was leading two-sets-to-one against his compatriot Taylor Fritz), Tiafoe knows that he is on the right track. He had previously failed at this stage of the competition at Flushing Meadows, two years ago, against Carlos Alcaraz.

“You look at it right now, and I’m playing some of the best tennis of my life right now. I’m made final of a Masters Series, semis of a slam. If you break it down right now, I’m like, why not?” he asked reporters.

The 26-year-old looked back on his complicated period after his defeat in the quarter-finals of the US Open last year, against Ben Shelton.

“I didn’t handle that loss that well. Then didn’t really feel like playing the rest of the year. Took the rest of the year for granted, kind of half-assing it. Then, you know, change of coach, this, that, things were kind of off
the walls. But I don’t regret those moments, because I think those tough moments kind of make you appreciate these moments even more, and I think the biggest thing is you don’t take the game for granted, don’t take playing at a high level for granted. These guys are so good out here, so tough out here.”

Frances Tiafoe seems to have learned his lesson. 2025 could be the year of confirmation.

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