WHAT HAPPENED: In about a week, when we think back to some of the most electric moments of the 2024 US Open, Frances Tiafoe will undoubtedly have multiple cameos on the highlight reel.
The No. 20 seed has stepped up in a big way to lead the charge in American men’s tennis this tournament, and he came in clutch yet again on Sunday night with a 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 win to fend off giant-slayer and No. 28 seed Alexei Popyrin and reach the quarterfinals.
Popyrin scribed his name in US Open lore when he sent defending champion Novak Djokovic tumbling out of the draw just 48 hours prior to Sunday’s fourth-round contest. But a determined Tiafoe was unfazed by the Aussie’s big game, definitively answering every question the 6-foot-5 Popyrin posed on the court.
With the win, Tiafoe continues to make history for American men’s tennis, becoming the fourth American man to appear in three US Open quarterfinals since 2000. The feat puts him in elite company with Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Pete Sampras as the only other men to do so this century.
It was a meaningful win for Tiafoe, particularly because of what it means to him to play in Arthur Ashe Stadium in front of a home crowd.
“I always dreamt of playing on this court. As a kid I always wanted to compete on this court, seeing the Williams sisters win titles here, seeing Roger Federer win here, being on a court named after Arthur Ashe, it brings out the best in me. You guys are unbelievable fans. It makes it so fun out here, honestly.”
Sunday night’s blockbuster feature had it all: uninhibited shotmaking, tense drama, high-energy fist pumps and heightened emotions—everything a tennis fan could ask for in a primetime match in Ashe.
The contest began with a server’s duel for the first eight games, with both men holding strong on their own deliveries. Popyrin was the first to blink serving at 4-4, as two forehand errors gifted Tiafoe the first break and allowed him to tuck away the first set in just over half an hour.
Popyrin flipped the script in the second set, striking first with a break early to move ahead 3-1, then extending his lead to 5-2. But when he reached 40-0 to close out the set serving at 5-3, the Aussie’s nerves got the better of him, and Tiafoe surprised even himself to erase three set points for the break to get back on serve.
“He was serving 5-3, 40-0, I’m sweating through my shoes thinking I’m about to go change my clothes," Tiafoe said, "and I’m just thinking, OK what if I get this next [point], and I did. Then I thought, OK, what about this next one, and I did. And then I won that one.”
When the set reached a tiebreak, Tiafoe played the aggressor, keeping Popyrin on his heels well behind the baseline and firing winners at will. An ace out wide at 6-3 gave the American a two-set lead.
Popyrin again took the early break at love for a 2-1 lead in the third set, then nearly took a second one in the fifth game before Tiafoe fought off three break points to hold. Popyrin again found himself up 5-2 in the third, and this time he held his nerve to take the set and force a fourth.
Fueled by the supportive energy from a packed house in Ashe, Tiafoe stayed consistent through the fourth set, taking the decisive break on a Popyrin double fault to inch ahead 4-2. Serving for the match at 5-3, on his third match point, Tiafoe fired a hooking crosscourt winner that found the back corner to close it out and secure the win in his 30th US Open match.
WHAT IT MEANS: After struggling earlier this season, Tiafoe's year now includes two finals (Houston and Cincinnati), two semifinals (Delray Beach and Washington) and four quarterfinals (US Open, Hong Kong, Dallas and Atlanta).
Tiafoe will to keep his momentum going against No. 9 seed Grigor Dimitrov, who holds a 3-1 edge over Tiafoe in head-to-heads. You have to go back to Round 4 at the 2019 Australian Open to see Tiafoe’s lone win against the Bulgarian, a very tight 7-5, 7-6, 6-7, 7-5 win. Dimitrov took their most recent meeting in straight sets at the 2023 Wimbledon third round.
“He's so talented, he’s been a talented player for a very long time,” Tiafoe said of Dimitrov. “At 33, he’s finding his form again and hitting all his shots. I'm going to make him fight for it.”
MATCH POINT: Tiafoe and Popyrin combined for 38 aces and 99 winners in the match. Of those aces, 24 belonged to Popyrin.
