Frances Tiafoe played the biggest final of his tennis career at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, and he didn't take care of the highlights only during the match, but also after it.
Struggling for the past few months, it was a real relief for the American player to play in the final of the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Cincinnati. However, in that final, he had to play against the World No. 1 player, Jannik Sinner.
Expectedly, the Italian player beat him in two sets to lift the title at the Cincinnati Open, only a few hours before it came to light that Sinner had a brief doping suspension earlier this year.
When it comes to Tiafoe, it was important for him to play such a big match, and even despite the lack of similar results in the past few months, he wasn't surprised that he made it to the final of the tournament in Ohio.
"It doesn't really shock me or anything that I played tight with the best players in the world. I think I've beaten the best players in the world. I've played insanely tight matches with the best players in the world."
"More [the] thing that stood out to me is beating Musetti, who's had an insane season, and then backing it up and beating Lehecka and beating Rune in a tough match."
As a result of his slump, the 26-year-old also exited the Top 20 on the ATP Tour, which he entered again as a result of his run at the Cincinnati Open, and it's also something that made him happy.
"Sucked being outside of Top 20. I've been in Top 20 for a couple years now. So yeah, that's a great sign. And now I can just kind of keep going and keep pushing and try to get back to where I need to be in the top of the game."
"I think I'm one of the better players in the world, but definitely wasn't playing like that for a lot of the year. So happy I am now. I just think the depth in tennis is a joke right now. I think anybody can clip anybody. If you're not ready to go, you're going to get clipped. And it showed for me."
After the final, it was clear that despite losing the final match, Tiafoe was in a very good mood. He joked with his final rival during the trophy speech, and he was in a mood for joking also during the customary photoshoot.
Last year, Aryna Sabalenka entertained everyone in Stuttgart when she pretended to smash Iga Swiatek's new Porsche, which the Pole won for winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, and Tiafoe took care of a similar moment.
First, both finalists took pictures together, after which the American player left the court, leaving it to Sinner and his team to take additional pictures.
It was when the American player was leaving the court when he stopped by Sinner and his team, who were taking pictures, to photobomb them with a middle finger.
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