Frances Tiafoe, the electrifying tennis star from Hyattsville, Maryland, has stormed into the third round of the French Open with back-to-back straight-set victories that left little doubt he’s locked in.
Tiafoe, seeded 15th, defeated Russia’s Roman Safiullin 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 in the opening round, before dismantling Pablo Carreño Busta 6–4, 6–3, 6–1 on Wednesday.
Next up is fellow American Sebastian Korda.
The two are set to face off Friday in a high-stakes match that could cement Tiafoe’s place as one of the top contenders in the draw.
Tiafoe hasn’t shied away from the pressure or the moment.
“I feel like when I’m mentally right and having fun, I can beat anybody,” he told reporters this week in Paris.
Raised at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, where his father worked in maintenance and Tiafoe and his twin brother slept on massage tables, the tennis star’s rise from Maryland’s public courts to the red clay of Roland Garros has captured fans around the world.
Korda, the 23rd seed, comes into the third-round clash looking for his first win over Tiafoe on clay. Their previous meetings have been on hard courts, but both players know this match carries weight — not just for bragging rights but for momentum deep into the second week of the tournament.
Tiafoe, 26, reached the quarterfinals of the 2022 U.S. Open and has been vocal about wanting to push further at majors. A solid run at Roland Garros, where he has historically struggled, would signal another breakthrough.
“I’m starting to feel more comfortable on this surface,” he said. “It’s never been my best, but I like where my game’s at right now.”
The match will air on TNT and truTV, with streaming on Max. Coverage begins at 5 a.m. ET.
