Frances Tiafoe Press Conference | 2024 US Open Semifinal

Francis if you would your thoughts on tonight's match oh man uh it's tough It's really really tough really really tough SW one's going to hurt really really bad I mean I thought I was a better player for sure tonight um I think but then in the fourth just at an Noor had uh had like some In-N-Out cramps I just felt you know like my body you kind of just shut down on me um I don't know like probably had a lot to do with nerves I wasn't tired at all just you know about to get into the final you know I've probably the closest I I was obviously when I played alz I was kind of hanging for dear life to go five you know here I was I was really in a position to win and you know probably with the year I had and to be was almost able to be in that position I I've been feeling unbelievable physically um but also I mean it could be a testament to how many matches I've played in a short time and I haven't played that many matches all year like that I mean but ultimately um yeah I think nerves got the better of me tonight and yeah kind of just went down it's kind of like a similar thing with alare as a Novak that year the French kind of seems like the same thing just couldn't really move and um but you got to typ how to Tay he stayed with it he he competed and he deserved it tonight so all the best to him in the final thank you one question each Brian Brian Lewis Post in your mind Francis how much of that was say mental and how much of it may have been it seemed like after that 31 shot rally that you weren't quite moving the same way you were before that how much it was mental and how much of it was perhaps the rally took something out of you yeah that was that was definitely an intense rally but I think was that three all something like that um yeah I mean it was a couple holes after that so it wasn't really that rally I mean it was more later than that said at 5 54 I'm 45 go double double um and I'm getting broken there but I kind of felt there out of nowhere just you know just weird cramps out of nowhere when I felt fine it wasn't even really warm no humid tonight um again I can think the moment definitely got ahead I got ahead of myself and something I'm definitely going to learn from but you know I promise probably not going to happen to me again right hey Francis T one what um what what kind of talk did to give yourself in between the fourth and fifth set during the change over I'm try to give everything you got for fifth set I mean try to man man I tried a bunch of different things um had pck had a bunch of pickle juice where I was Garling spitting out I was you know eating doing kind of everything I could but obvious he's trying to give it give it one last shot right it fits that semi of Slam try to give everything you got but sometimes it's not meant to be Richard you I know it's hard to look at but you've had an incredible couple of weeks between Cincinnati and here I imagine when you do walk away from here you'll feel good about where you put yourself back in the in the mix I mean yeah for sure um you know I've SC for really a long time um you know I'm obviously this is going to hurt and stuff I'm I'm going to turn a page I'm going to try to end the year strong I'm going to go to Asia do the whole thing do it the right way not half ass it um I'm going to go to labor cup and compete and um you know I'm going to let this thing but I'm I'm going to learn from that I'm going to learn from this um and you know I'm going to I'm going to work really hard I'm going to be in these positions again for sure and um just hoping for a different outcome nice tournament Francis um I'm wondering how it felt for you out there to play against another American it was obviously a really good crowd and it was packed and everything but you know those Crowds Are are very different when it's you against a non-american player did that um cross your mind at all tonight no I thought I still really thought they were for me to to be fair um maybe me feel even worse when I'm down like 4 Z and the four you see a lot of people leaving like it's crazy um but ultimate it was a great night I mean to have two Americans but I didn't you know once you're out there battling I'm not really thinking oh I'm playing another American guy he's competing um but yeah man I mean that's kind of what it was really what do you think Francis your performance and tailor and the other Americans at this tournament might mean going forward for men's tennis I think open the floodgates for sure I think guys are going to start believing they can go deep in slams Tommy's already made s of Slam Ben as well obviously him beating me last year here in the quarters Fritz now you know he's made a fin so no none of us younger guys have done that I mean you know see what happens on Sunday but I think you know a lot of guys are going to be able to think they can do it um especially in this one where you know later in the season stuff like that with American crowds and and what have you so um I mean I think this is big I think it's big you shows that it's definitely possible as I said again game's open um even with alarz in Center these other guys you man like it's not it's not what it used to be takes a couple more Bill good run here at the US Open uh Francis you said that um you you would learn from this this match what do you think you'll learn um I mean obviously I'm going to be able be able to be a little more poised um during during that during that time um you maybe not you know Panic or whatever preparations probably be you know even better you can always be fitter you can always you know be stronger um you know I mean try different things and speak to my team you know that you just kind of just learn from the situation um not get ahead of yourself not be like oh you know I'm I'm set away from getting F like staying in those moments which I have been all to leading up to it so um more try to to stay in the moment maybe you know had some stuff which you do on the changeovers what what your intake is eat like you know eating and and hydration wise you know you got to look at you got to look at the whole thing so um because you just don't want it to happen again since it was a nerve situation last question uh Francis again congratulations on the Run uh you mentioned you're kind of looking ahead while like during the match at what point do you remember thinking did you allow yourself to think oh I think I'm going to be in the final yeah ear early early early days in the fourth I mean you I got good looks I'm returning well I'm like you know I was holding easy early in the fourth I'm like oh you know here we go two sets two sets two sets to one up you're Chang you're like y like come out strong like let's get this fourth done we're going to be final like I mean that's normal thinking for sure I mean um but you know in the past matches before I was just only thinking about what it takes to win rather than thinking about what you know what's potentially ahead and you know I could play a part in it too but again I mean the up had and to be able to almost be in that position yeah I think I just got ahead of myself I mean this things a bit I mean it's not a bit this things a lot but I'm I'm I'm going to learn from in and I'll be I'll be better going forward for sure thank you everyone thank you Francis