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‘Don’t Know if You’ll See Me Again’ – Despite Flailing Form, American Tennis Star Frances Tiafoe Confesses to One Career Goal That Pushes Him to Work Hard

Published 08/02/2023, 8:31 PM EDT

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via Reuters

Tennis players have their own preferences and expertise when it comes to various aspects of the game. Andy Murray excelled in the Olympics, Roger Federer ruled Wimbledon Championships, and Novak Djokovic reigns on all surfaces. Among the present-generation players, Carlos Alcaraz is trying to claim all the surfaces, while Iga Swiatek is mastering the clay, like Rafael Nadal. Frances Tiafoe, who is yet to win a Slam, achieved the biggest victory in his career when he beat Nadal to advance to the quarter-final of the US Open in 2022.

In 2022, ‘Big Foe’ became the first American in 15 years to reach the semis of the US Open. But, in an interview, Tiafoe conveyed his wish to accomplish a different feat, though it meant falling down the rankings and sacrificing his hard-earned Top 10 position.

Frances Tiafoe puts winning a Grand Slam before his top ranking

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In 2023, the American could not go beyond the third round in any majors yet. He is booting himself up for the last Slam of the year and is currently playing the Citi Open in his hometown. Tiafoe earned a spot in the Top 10 after claiming the title of Stuttgart Open in June. According to Eurosport, Tiafoe revealed that though he wanted to maintain his position, it doesn’t mean anything to him if he doesn’t have a Slam to his name.

Big Foe revealed, “If I’m No. 3 in the world and never won a Slam, that would be hard for me. I could have been No. 19 but I won a Slam. That’s how much winning a Slam would mean to me. At this point now, cracking top 10 is great, a huge milestone for me and my family.”

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The American rising star did not get past the third round of any Slam except for his 2022 US Open run. But his career graph is only going high, as he now achieved his career-high ranking. The 10th seed is also particular about which majors to win and even joked about his career after fulfilling his dream.

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Tiafoe makes a disappearing joke upon attaining his dream run

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The 25-year-old said that people might never see him again if he wins the Slam he wished for, only to brush it aside as a joke. He said, “Now it’s about winning Wimbledon. If I do that, I don’t know if you’ll see me again. No, I’m joking but it will be one hell of a day.” Tiafoe’s Grass court run was halted by Grigor Dimitrov in the third round this year.

via Imago

The Grass is considered to be one of the hardest surfaces to play tennis. Given the hard work, determination, and fitness of the American, it is not impossible for him to achieve a Wimbleton title. The US Open semi-finalist entered the current Citi Open as a 2nd seed, his highest-ever seeding to date in any tournament.

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‘Big Foe’ disclosed that he used to sneak into this tournament as a kid. If he wins the Citi Open, he felt it would be an emotional victory as being close to the people and fans is the reason why he decided to play professional tennis. He already won his first match of the tournament and awaiting his second round against Shang Juncheng.

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Written by:

Krishna Priya

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Vadlamani Krishna Priya is a tennis writer at Essentially Sports. Pursuing her passion for storytelling, she has a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Helped by her cousin who introduced her to the rules and regulations of the game during her childhood, Roger Federer matches became Priya's gateway to the world of tennis.
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Edited by:

Bhavani Singh