Frances Tiafoe is set to compete in the U.S. Open quarterfinals for the third consecutive year. The 26-year-old secured his spot by defeating Alexei Popyrin with a score of 6-4, 7-6 (3), 2-6, 6-3 on Sunday night.
With this victory, Tiafoe becomes the first American man to reach three straight U.S. Open quarterfinals since Andy Roddick, who achieved the feat from 2006 to 2008. In previous tournaments, Tiafoe reached the semifinals in 2022, where he lost to champion Carlos Alcaraz, and faced Ben Shelton in last year’s quarterfinals, losing that match as well.
This year, Tiafoe avenged his prior defeat to Shelton by winning in a dramatic five-set match earlier in the tournament. A critical moment in Tiafoe’s latest win came during the second set. “I think the second set was a huge, huge win for me,” Tiafoe stated. He managed to rally from 5-3 down to send the set into a tiebreak, which he ultimately won.
Popyrin, the 28th seed from Australia, expressed disappointment over his performance in the second set. “Definitely a lost opportunity,” he said. After a major upset against defending champion Novak Djokovic earlier in the tournament, Popyrin advanced to the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time in his career. Despite winning the third set convincingly, he was unable to maintain momentum, allowing Tiafoe to close out the match in the fourth set.
Tiafoe’s win places him alongside fellow American Taylor Fritz in the quarterfinals. “Everything is happening when it’s meant to happen,” Tiafoe remarked, adding that he was pleased with the timing of his success.
If Tommy Paul manages to upset top seed Jannik Sinner on Monday, it would result in three American men reaching the quarterfinals for the second year in a row. Tiafoe is set to face ninth-ranked Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday for a place in the semifinals, with Tiafoe holding a 1-3 record against Dimitrov historically.