NEW YORK — About 20 minutes after Frances Tiafoe earned the first trip to the US Open semifinals Wednesday by an American man since 2006, he met up in an Arthur Ashe Stadium foyer with a host of friends, Washington Wizards All-Star guard Bradley Beal among them.
Everyone traded hearty hugs and huge smiles. Tiafoe shouted, “Let’s pose for a dope photo!” and they obliged. As the nine-person line stood together, someone yelled, “Throw up a ‘Dub!'” so Tiafoe and others formed a “W” — as in win — by joining thumbs and index fingers on both hands. Tiafoe’s girlfriend ran through the nearby double doors, jumped into his arms, gave him a kiss, then wiped away lipstick from his mouth.
Most assuredly a showman and someone striving for years for this sort of success on big stages, Tiafoe sure is enjoying the ride, as are his pals, his parents and the partisan fans, who last celebrated a Grand Slam trophy for a man from the United States two decades ago.
Tiafoe managed the tricky task of following up the biggest win of his career, against 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, with another milestone victory, beating No. 9 seed Andrey Rublev 7-6 (3), 7-6 (0), 6-4 behind the backing of a boisterous crowd on Wednesday.
Tiafoe By The Numbers
1: Win for American men in Open quarters since start of 2007 thanks to Tiafoe. U.S men were 0-7 until Wednesday
4: Opening-set tiebreaker wins for Tiafoe at this year’s Open, tied for most ever by a man at this event since 1970 (when tiebreakers were introduced here)
6: American men to reach semifinals of a major since 2004 (Agassi, Ginepri, Roddick, Isner, Querrey, Tiafoe)
6-0: Record in tiebreakers for Tieafoe at this year’s Open, 1 shy of the most by any man in a single Open since 1970
16: Years between the Open semifinal appearances by an American man (Roddick in 2006 and then Tiafoe)
89: Percent of first-serve points by Tiafoe, 2nd-highest mark in any major match in his career
100-1: Pre-tournament odds for Tiafoe to win Open
“I love to show the world what I can do,” said the 24-year-old Tiafoe, the No. 22 seed at Flushing Meadows who became the first Black American man to reach the US Open semifinals since Arthur Ashe in 1972. “I just want to go out there and try to give the crowd what they want — and that’s me getting the win.”
