Frances Tiafoe has been part of some big matches at the US Open in recent years, but there is one that really stands out to him.
Tiafoe has reached the US Open semifinals twice before, including last year when he lost to his compatriot Taylor Fritz.
This year will be the American’s 11th appearance at the New York major, where Tiafoe will look to make history at the US Open.
While his more recent runs at the US Open are better known amongst tennis fans, it is actually a first round loss for Tiafoe that holds a special place in his memory.
Frances Tiafoe attributes his loss to Roger Federer at the US Open as the match that gave him belief
In a discussion with American WTA player Hailey Baptiste for Tour Tales, they spoke about the points in their careers where they thought they could really make it.
Baptiste spoke about her debut appearance on the WTA Tour where she beat this year’s Australian Open champion Madison Keys as a 17-year-old.
The conversation then turned to Tiafoe, who admitted that he always felt like he could become a professional tennis player, before saying that his 2017 US Open match with Roger Federer helped him believe he could make money in the sport.
As a 19-year-old, Tiafoe took Federer to five sets, just losing out 4-6 6-2 6-1 1-6 6-4, and suggested that this made him feel like he could compete at the top of the sport.
Tiafoe: Bro. I don’t even know a specific moment. I mean, we were all arrogant. I mean everybody that we grew up with thought they were rough. I think that really helps it, I mean, and in the way I was going I felt like I was always going to be a pro. I didn’t know what I was going to be.
Baptiste: I felt like in my head I always knew I was going to be a pro.
Tiafoe: I was pretty confident, I’m going to make money playing tennis. What that looks like? I can’t give you that, but, I felt pretty confident that I’d make money. When I realised, when I lost to Roger Federer when I was 19.
Baptiste: Hard centre court battle.
Tiafoe: I was like, ‘I think I’m going to be one of them’…I was like super young, I didn’t play anyone crazy, like you did at home.
What Roger Federer said he wished for Frances Tiafoe after their match
It was 2017 where Tiafoe broke into the top 100 for the first time, and was starting to emerge as a real young talent on the ATP Tour.
This was also the same year as the Next Gen Finals held its inaugural edition, something that Federer said he was a fan of after beating Tiafoe.
Federer also wished that players amongst that generation like Tiafoe would compete at the top of the ATP Tour for years to come.
“I think it’s a great initiative, the NextGen. Frances has done well, as well, this year,” Federer said in his post-match press conference. “Moved up the rankings. Got a taste of Arthur Ashe, how it is to play against top players. He’s only going to learn from a match like this and become better.
“But obviously our generation also was very strong. We went on to become, many of us, top five players. I wish the same for them.”
Tiafoe has not quite reached the top five just yet, but he does have a career-high ranking of world number 10.
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