Frances Tiafoe is one of the more established players on the ATP Tour now.
Tiafoe made his debut on the ATP Tour in 2014, when he was just 16 years old, with the American going on to achieve some big things since then.
This includes being ranked inside the top 10, as well as Tiafoe reaching two US Open semifinals in his career.
However, Tiafoe had a disappointing 2025 season and is now trying to rediscover some of his previous form.
Following his latest win, Tiafoe admitted he has seen a big change in men’s tennis in recent years.
Frances Tiafoe explains how men’s tennis has changed over the years
Tiafoe saved two match points to beat Aleksandar Kovacevic, 6-4 3-6 7-6(7), to reach the quarterfinals at the Mexican Open.
This has provided Tiafoe with a huge opportunity, as many of the other top seeds have already exited the tournament.
When speaking to Tennis TV on court after the match, Tiafoe was asked about his mindset when facing those two match points.
Tiafoe revealed what was going through his mind, before speaking about the depth in men’s tennis right now, something he suggested has got stronger throughout his career.
“It’s funny my coach tells me all the time, ‘Swing your returns, don’t guide them’,” said Tiafoe. “Honestly I was just trying to go hard down the line, but not that crisp and I was just trying to find backhand. When I first hit it I was like f— I missed it and then I nailed it.
“Yeah, that’s a little bit of luck obviously goes your way, but a lot of fight man. I dug and I dug…Yeah man, look you gotta back yourself, it’s tough out here.
“Rankings don’t even matter anymore, the margins are so tight. Everybody is playing so good. The depth in the men’s game is crazy from when I first started. You got to be ready to die every match, otherwise you’re not going to win many matches. But I’m glad I did it.”
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Frances Tiafoe says he felt like his former self in his latest match
Tiafoe is currently the world number 28, but fell outside the top 30 for the first time in four years last month.
Despite the struggles he has faced over the past year, Tiafoe still has big goals for his career and he appears to have made some forward steps in Acapulco.
Following his dramatic win over Kovacevic, Tiafoe claimed that he felt more like his old self, as he admitted feeling under the weather.
“It’s been tough for me, really, really tough for me,” added Tiafoe. “Putting matches together, trying to re-find the love for the game and do it the right way. I just needed a win like that.
“Obviously I lost a tough one last week. Just trying to find wins, trying to find my game, trying to find momentum. Obviously when you take some time off, I’m starting to feel it, I didn’t play great today at all. But I didn’t get internal today, I was pretty external and just trying to figure out ways to win.
“Because there’s no excuse calling, nobody cares, nobody cares how you feel, so obviously I had a lot of factors going on, but I just wanted to compete and bear down. That’s the Frances Tiafoe of old, that’s big. So that’s where I was at mentally.
“And also I’m pretty under the weather, as you can see I’m blowing my nose at every changeover and yacking at the back of the court. But again no excuses, and that one feels really good.”
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Tiafoe will look to continue this mindset going into his quarterfinal match in Acapulco, as he looks to capture his first ATP title since 2023.
The 28-year-old’s next opponent is Mattia Bellucci, who Tiafoe beat in their only previous meeting.
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