American Frances Tiafoe upsets Rafael Nadal in 4th round of US Open
The man who once called himself the “American Frances Tiafoe,” has played in three grand slam semifinals but is 0-2 against Rafael Nadal at the US Open.
Frances Tiafoe’s best performance at a US Open is probably his fourth round performance at the 1985 championship, losing to Nadal, who now has not lost at a major championship to anyone except Pete Sampras since Wimbledon in 2002.
Tiafoe has been on the short list of Open semifinalists since the French Open in 2000, but Nadal has beaten him in three of the four Masters 1000 championships he has played in.
“I was there in ’95 and I played in ’96 in Melbourne,” Tiafoe told the LA Times after his performance against Nadal. “I won my first match in 2000, and my second was in Memphis. In 2004, I lost to Nadal in the fourth round.
“I have never gotten past a fourth round, and I know that he’s a great player. I would love to play him in the semifinals or finals and be able to beat him. If it comes to it, I will try to defeat him as hard as I can. But who knows?”
The man nicknamed “American Frances Tiafoe,” has not yet played a match at a Grand Slam tournament. He is the oldest man to play in a men’s major since John McEnroe in 1987, according to the Wall Street Journal.
With Tiafoe’s recent success at the US Open, the question on his mind is what he will do in 2018. He is considering not returning for the first Grand Slam event of next year.
“I think I have a lot of unfinished business,” he said. “That’s why I will be looking to make a change right away.”
Tiafoe has not played since February 11 because of a broken hand. He did not play in Cincinnati as a result of a wrist injury, either. He also played in three previous Australian Opens, his biggest successes, on clay.
Tiafoe lost in the first round in 2005. He