Frances Tiafoe was a real life Rocky Balboa Friday night. As Rocky went up toe-to-toe against Apollo Creed, Rocky might have lost the fight but his heart and determination made him a beloved character even in defeat. That was what happened to Tiafoe as the world saw his heart and determination as he lost to Carlos Alcaraz in a five set, four-plus hour epic US Open semifinal match.
Tiafoe started strong and even beat Alcaraz in a first set tiebreaker. Then, unforced errors by Tiafoe in the second and third sets put Alcaraz in control and Tiafoe was losing the plot a little bit. But like a marathon runner, Tiafoe got his second wind and clawed back to win a fourth set tiebreaker. That didn’t last however, and in the fifth set, Alcaraz was just too much as he outlasted Tiafoe and advanced to the men’s final. Alcaraz will face Casper Ruud on Sunday where the winner will be the No. 1 ranked player in men’s tennis.
ALCARAZ IS HEADED TO THE US OPEN FINAL ‼️
The second teenager to ever reach the men's final! pic.twitter.com/1qT8wEXpSe
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 10, 2022
No doubt Alcaraz was the better player this night but Tiafoe had nothing to be ashamed about. Tiafoe’s journey to even compete in the semifinal shows how determined he was over the past two weeks. The No. 22 seed faced higher seeds starting in the third round and Tiafoe beat three higher seeds in a row to get to the semis. That included No. 2 seed Rafael Nadal, as Tiafoe defeated the Spanish legend in the fourth round.
Even in the semis, Tiafoe never gave up and made Alcaraz earn the win. Alcaraz is pegged to be a tennis superstar and his coming out party might very well be this weekend but Tiafoe certainly put his name into the conversation to compete for many more major titles in the future. In the same tournament as Serena Williams retired, Francis Tiafoe might be the next great American tennis player.
Many were amazed at what Tiafoe did and they showed their appreciation to the 24-year-old who will no doubt rocket up the rankings after this performance.
Tiafoe was incredible in this match and this tournament. What a breakout for him.
Alcaraz is not human. What a player.
— Lee Schechter (@LeeSchechter) September 10, 2022
Frances Tiafoe what a ride. Thank you! #thebest
— Rachel DePompa (@RachelDePompa) September 10, 2022
Great match. A star is born in Tiafoe and Alcarez is going to be number one for a long long time.
— Max Weiss (@maxthegirl) September 10, 2022
Take a bow, Frances Tiafoe
Represented what Maryland is all about. What a run. pic.twitter.com/NfBDLonuHp
— Maryland Terrapins (@umterps) September 10, 2022
Tiafoe gave him a heck of a battle…Have enjoyed watching Alcaraz this week…Thanks for the entertaining 4+ hours! #USOpen
— Marc Kestecher (@marckestecher) September 10, 2022
Alcaraz-Tiafoe absolutely electric. Two excellent players put on a 4 and a half hour show. Need these two to play in every major.
— Kyle, a Madson (@KyleAMadson) September 10, 2022
What a match that was! Carlos Alcaraz is amazing. Frances Tiafoe played his heart out. Amazing to watch. 🎾
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 10, 2022
Could not be a bigger Frances Tiafoe fan after that run.
— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) September 10, 2022
Man. What a run by Tiafoe. Ultimately Alcaraz was just unbeatable. Not sure I've ever seen someone cover so much court with so much power. Insane. What a match, what a tourney. #USOpen
— Casey Decker (@CaseyDeckerTV) September 10, 2022
Amazing match. Haymakers all night.
Tiafoe battled like a champ. Rooting for more at this level in the years ahead.
Also… I would buy all the Alcaraz stock.
— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) September 10, 2022
Tiafoe is a warrior. Left it all on the court. Match for the ages. Somewhere up there Arthur Ashe is smiling. #USOpen #tiafoe
— LaToya Morgan (@MorganicInk) September 10, 2022
Wow. What a match. So much fight and game from Tiafoe. Gained tons of fans. Respect.
— Shawn Stepner (@StepnerWMAR) September 10, 2022
Tiafoe made American (men's) tennis fans feel something they haven't felt for almost two decades. I can't wait to see what the next few years bring for him, and us.
— Bradford Pearson (@BradfordPearson) September 10, 2022
