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Frances Tiafoe news
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Frances Tiafoe rallied from two sets to one to beat Martin Damm 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3.
The win keeps alive his bid to end American men's 23-year Grand Slam drought.
Background
Tiafoe, the 11th seed, entered the US Open in strong form after a runner-up finish at the Cincinnati Open. He faced fellow American Martin Damm Jr., who had recently beaten Daniil Medvedev. Tiafoe had previously defeated Damm at the 2025 US Open. The match was part of the first round, with Tiafoe aiming to become the first American man to win a Grand Slam since 2003.
How it unfolded
- Aug 31, 2026Tiafoe was scheduled to play Damm in the first round, with Tiafoe as the heavy favorite.
- Sep 1, 2026Tiafoe rallied from two sets to one down to defeat Damm 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in a five-set thriller that ended early Tuesday morning.
- Sep 4, 2026Tiafoe was scheduled to face Valentin Vacherot in the third round.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Tiafoe said, 'The last two sets I just wanted to be tough. I was like, If I can get one break and take care of my serve, I'm still in it.'
- Analysts
- Analysts noted Tiafoe's strong hard-court form, ranking him 14th on hard courts and projecting an 82.8% win probability against Damm.