Frances Tiafoe played the match of his life.The American shocks Rafael Nadal, the all-time major winner, in the Round of 16 Monday to move into the US Open quarterfinals for the first time, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
This serve by Frances Tiafoe was NEXT LEVEL 🚀@Heineken_US Serve of the Day | #USOpen pic.twitter.com/Xnq9C30pNx
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022
Frances Tiafoe backed up the bravado with brave, brilliant tennis to upset the all-time slam champion and deny Nadal the opportunity to continue his campaign to win a record 23rd Grand Slam.
Have a moment Frances Tiafoe!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/egoIVDoRWh
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022
Tiafoe became the youngest American to make the quarters at Flushing Meadows since Andy Roddick in 2006. The Marylander equals his previous best performance in a Slam, reaching the Australian Open quarterfinal in 2019—where he lost to Nadal.
It was great to have @RafaelNadal back in New York this year.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/MNhZHRPp6J
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022
Tiafoe is the first American to beat Nadal at a Grand Slam since Blake, and only the third American overall to achieve that feat (Roddick, 2004 US Open).
Have a moment Frances Tiafoe!#USOpen pic.twitter.com/egoIVDoRWh
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 5, 2022
Nadal had not lost a match at a major this year (he won the Australian Open and French Opens, but was forced to retire before the semifinal at Wimbledon). Nadal had won 11 matches in a row in Flushing Meadows, dating back to 2019 (he did not play here in 2020 or 2021). Nadal was vying for a record-tying fifth US Open crown and 23rd major title overall. He finishes the year with two majors.
Tiafoe will meet the No. 9 Andrey Rublev, a straight-sets victor earlier today over Cameron Norrie of Great Britain.
“I played unbelievable tennis today. I really don’t even know what happened,” Tiafoe said on court after the win.
“At 4-3, when I went up 40-love, my legs were like cement,” the American added.
“I felt like the world stopped,” he said later in his press conference, describing the moment he won. “I couldn’t hear anything for a minute. Even shaking his hand, I don’t even know what I said to him. It was such a blur.
“I’ve never felt something like that in my life, honestly.”
“I was not able to hold a high level of tennis for a long time,” Nadal said in his post-match press conference. “I was not able to create the damage that normally I used to do.”
“We can’t find excuses,” reasoned Nadal. “At the end the only thing that happened is we went to the fourth round of the US Open and I faced a player that was better than me. And that’s why I am having a plane back home.”
Frances will meet the No. 9 Andrey Rublev, a straight-sets victor earlier today over Cameron Norrie of Great Britain.
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