Frances Tiafoe failed to impress on the grass but is now ready to return to action on his favored hard-courts.
The American star played two grass-court tournaments in 2025, the Queen’s Club Championships and Wimbledon.
At Queen’s, Tiafoe lost to Dan Evans in his opening match before bouncing back with a first-round win over Elmer Moller at Wimbledon.
Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images
Finishing his grass-court season with a 1-2 record, Tiafoe lost to Cameron Norrie in round two, as he now turns his attention to the North American hard-court swing.
Ahead of his return at the Washington Open, Tiafoe updated fans on his physical and mental health in a revealing interview.
Frances Tiafoe says he is in a ‘great place’ ahead of return in Washington
During an interview with Sports Illustrated, Tiafoe shared how he is feeling ahead of the upcoming tournaments in North America.
“I’m feeling good. I love the energy of the hard court season, especially in North America,” he said.
“The fans bring the heat, the competition ramps up, and I feed off that.
“I’ve been putting in the work, and I feel like I’m in a great place mentally and physically. I’m ready to go.”
Photo by Marleen Fouchier/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Tiafoe will be competing at his home Washington Open this week, an event he believes is like no other.
“There’s nothing like it. Playing at places like Wimbledon and the US Open 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’ve seen you grow up. That’s a different type of energy,” he said.
“I carry that with me the whole match.”
Tiafoe began his Washington Open campaign with a doubles defeat alongside Ben Shelton, as the pair fell to the Australian duo of Matthew Ebden and John Peers in straight sets.
He’ll return to singles action on Wednesday, taking on his fellow American Aleksandar Kovacevic in the second round.
Tiafoe and Kovacevic have met twice before, with the former winning on both occasions.
2024 US Open 1R – Frances Tiafoe beat Aleksandar Kovacevic, 6-4, 6-3, 4-6, 7-52024 Washington Open 2R – Frances Tiafoe beat Aleksandar Kovacevic, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3
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.
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.
Frances Tiafoe’s route to the Washington Open title
If Tiafoe were to beat Kovacevic in the second round, he would then be met with several challenging matchups en route to the final.
3R – [9] Flavio CobolliQF – [4] Ben SheltonSF – [1] Taylor FritzF – [7] Alex de Minaur
If the top seeds all make their way through, Tiafoe will have to beat Flavio Cobolli, Shelton, Taylor Fritz, and Alex de Minaur in Washington if he wants to win the title.
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 [1-7], and De Minaur [1-2].
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.
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.
Will Frances Tiafoe finally win his first US Open in 2025?
There aren’t many players who raise their game for a specific tournament as much as Tiafoe does at the US Open.
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.
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.
Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images
If he can rediscover that form in 2025, Tiafoe will be a threat once more, as with the crowd behind him, there are few players better than him on the ATP Tour.
Tiafoe will make his return to the US Open when the tournament begins on Sunday, August 24.