Cinderella man!

Giant-killer Frances Tiafoe shocks 9th-seed Rublev in quarters to continue fairytale run in bid to become first coloured player to win US Open since Arthur Ashe in 1968

Frances Tiafoe is hoping to inspire a new generation of Black tennis players after moving to within two wins of becoming the first African-American man in 54 years to win the US Open. 

Tiafoe, 24, has lit up this year’s championships after a giant-killing run that saw him eliminate Rafael Nadal before Wednesday’s quarter-final demolition of Russian ninth seed Andrey Rublev. Tiafoe’s assured 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-0), 6-4 victory over Rublev has left the 22nd seed on course to become the first Black male player to win the Open since Arthur Ashe in 1968. 

Also Read: Brilliant Frances Tiafoe sends Rafael Nadal crashing out of US Open 2022

Tiafoe wants his performances to leave a lasting mark on US tennis. “Every time I win, I just want to inspire a bunch of people to know that anything is possible,” Tiafoe said. 

“I love that because of Frances Tiafoe there’s a lot of people of colour playing tennis. That’s a goal for me. That’s why I’m out here trying pretty hard,” added Tiafoe, who was introduced to tennis at an early age, after his father, who moved to the US to escape civil war in Sierra Leone in the early 1990s, took a job as a live-in caretaker at a tennis training facility in Maryland. 

“I was playing around for hours and hours, soaking up the game, watching the game. It was my life. The only thing I really watched growing up was the Tennis Channel. I mean, you end up just falling in love with it,” said Tiafoe, whose best result at a Grand Slam before Wednesday was a quarter-final appearance at the 2019 Australian Open. But after beating Nadal on Monday and taking care of now Rublev, Tiafoe has American fans daring to dream he can go all the way to clinch a maiden Slam. 

“I just love playing in front of a packed house. I love to show the world what I can do. To see how many people I can get behind me. Means a lot,” said Tiafoe as he was mobbed by a huge crowd of well wishers while he conducted post-match television interviews on the concourse of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. 

Also Read: Cilic beats Tiafoe, moves Croatia step closer to third Davis Cup final

“That’s love, man. I really appreciate that. That stuff gets me emotional, for sure. Seeing people screaming your name, just loving what you’re doing. That’s awesome. That’s what it’s all about. Everyone loves a Cinderella story. I’m just trying to make one,” he said. 

Against Rublev on Wednesday, Tiafoe surged to victory behind an impregnable service game that included 18 aces and was not broken once. He took control after dominating the decisive tie breaks, including winning the second set breaker 7-0. Back-to-back aces took him into a 5-0 lead before a beautiful sliced backhand gave him six points for a two-set lead. Tiafoe will face either Jannik Sinner in Friday’s semi-final. 

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