At Queen\u2019s, Tiafoe<\/a> lost to Dan Evans in his opening match before bouncing back with a first-round win over Elmer Moller at Wimbledon.<\/p>\n Finishing his grass-court season with a 1-2 record, Tiafoe lost to Cameron Norrie<\/a> in round two, as he now turns his attention to the North American hard-court swing.<\/p>\n Ahead of his return at the Washington Open<\/a>, Tiafoe updated fans on his physical and mental health in a revealing interview.<\/p>\n Frances Tiafoe says he is in a \u2018great place\u2019 ahead of return in Washington<\/p>\n During an interview with Sports Illustrated<\/a>, Tiafoe shared how he is feeling ahead of the upcoming tournaments in North America.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m feeling good. I love the energy of the hard court season, especially in North America,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fans bring the heat, the competition ramps up, and I feed off that.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been putting in the work, and I feel like I\u2019m in a great place mentally and physically. I\u2019m ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n Tiafoe will be competing at his home Washington Open this week, an event he believes is like no other.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s nothing like it. Playing at places like Wimbledon and the US Open<\/a> is incredible, no doubt, but walking onto the court in DC, with the home crowd behind you, your family in the stands, people yelling your name who\u2019ve seen you grow up. That\u2019s a different type of energy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cI carry that with me the whole match.\u201d<\/p>\n Tiafoe began his Washington Open campaign with a doubles defeat alongside Ben Shelton<\/a>, as the pair fell to the Australian duo of Matthew Ebden and John Peers in straight sets.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n He\u2019ll return to singles action on Wednesday, taking on his fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the second round.<\/p>\n Tiafoe and Kovacevic have met twice before, with the former winning on both occasions.<\/p>\n 2024 US Open 1R \u2013 Frances Tiafoe beat Aleksandar Kovacevic, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-52024 Washington Open 2R \u2013 Frances Tiafoe beat Aleksandar Kovacevic, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3<\/p>\n Fans in attendance will no doubt hope for a 2024 repeat on Wednesday evening, as Tiafoe outlasted Kovacevic in a three-set thriller 12 months ago.<\/p>\n Tiafoe is searching for his first title of the season in Washington, but will have to pick up some big wins in DC if he wants to lift the trophy on Sunday.<\/p>\n Frances Tiafoe\u2019s route to the Washington Open title<\/p>\n If Tiafoe were to beat Kovacevic in the second round, he would then be met with several challenging matchups en route to the final.<\/p>\n 3R \u2013 [9] Flavio CobolliQF \u2013 [4] Ben SheltonSF \u2013 [1] Taylor FritzF \u2013 [7] Alex de Minaur<\/p>\n If the top seeds all make their way through, Tiafoe will have to beat Flavio Cobolli<\/a>, Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur in Washington if he wants to win the title.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Tiafoe, he has a winning record against just one of those players, Cobolli [1-0], as he trails the head-to-head with Shelton [1-2], Fritz<\/a> [1-7], and De Minaur [1-2].<\/p>\n Only time will tell if the 27-year-old can overcome the odds and win his first title above ATP 250 level, but it will certainly be worth tuning in for.<\/p>\n However, whilst Tiafoe would love to win in front of his home fans in Washington, he may already have one eye on his favorite Grand Slam tournament, which begins next month.<\/p>\n Will Frances Tiafoe finally win his first US Open in 2025?<\/p>\n There aren\u2019t many players who raise their game for a specific tournament as much as Tiafoe does at the US Open.<\/p>\n The world number 11 consistently finds his best tennis in New York, and has reached the quarterfinals in each of his three previous visits to Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n Twice a US Open semifinalist, Tiafoe missed out on a place in the final last time around, losing a five-set thriller to Fritz on Arthur Ashe Stadium.<\/p>\n![\"Frances](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2222143609-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Frances](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2224439185-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Marleen Fouchier\/BSR Agency\/Getty Images<\/p>\n![\"Frances](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/GettyImages-2170620278-3-1024x683.jpg\")
Photo by Matthew Stockman\/Getty Images<\/p>\n