When Frances Tiafoe triumphed in Stuttgart, Germany on June 18, the Hyattsville native returned to the winner’s circle for his third career title by defeating hometown veteran Jan-Lennard Struff in a thrilling three-set battle in the BOSS Open final.
Tiafoe saved a championship point in the final set tiebreaker before earning a clutch come-from-behind 4-6, 7-6, 7-6 emphatic victory with a miraculous drop volley winner on the penultimate point.
His second title of the 2023 season and first outside of the United States, Tiafoe played brilliantly all week and compiled a sterling 5-1 record in tiebreakers.
The 25-year-old joins a prestigious list that includes Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Rafael Nadal as the 16th active player in the men’s game to have a career title on all three surfaces: clay, grass, and hard. Tiafoe’s maiden ATP title came at Delray Beach in 2018 on hard courts followed by winning Houston on the clay in April.
“I have now won a title on all three surfaces. It shows I am a complete player and when I am locked in, I can compete on all surfaces,” Tiafoe said.
With the win, Tiafoe secured a career-high ATP #10 ranking, joining fellow American Taylor Fritz at #8, marking the first time in 11 years that two American men are ranked in the elite ATP Top 10 category.
Tiafoe continues to solidify himself as one of the best players in the world following his breakthrough Grand Slam performance at the 2022 U.S. Open when the JTCC alumnus upset 22-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal en route to the semifinals.
“Frances has put 12 months of consistent work together and reaching the top 10 adds him to an elite group of players,” JTCC President Vesa Ponkka said. Being one of the top 10 players in the world means you have earned every point and achieving this status is something no one can ever take away from you. We are extremely proud of Frances and cannot wait to see what he will achieve next.”
Click here to watch a video from ESPN on Tiafoe’s monumental achievement.
