MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Frances Tiafoe experienced a challenging moment during his first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday when he threw up on the court. Despite this setback, the 17th-seeded Tiafoe, who will turn 27 shortly, persevered and secured a hard-fought five-set victory against Arthur Rinderknech of France, with a final score of 7-6 (2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3 after battling for 4 hours and 8 minutes.
Reflecting on his physical discomfort during the match, Tiafoe candidly admitted that in a different tournament, he might have considered withdrawing. “If it was any other, probably, event, I probably would have let it go,” Tiafoe shared concerning his illness late in the fourth set. “But here, you got to lay it all on the line.”
Tiafoe’s breakthrough in Grand Slam tournaments occurred at Melbourne Park in 2019, where he reached the quarterfinals before falling to Rafael Nadal. Since then, Tiafoe has continued to make significant strides in his career, notably reaching the semifinals at the U.S. Open in both 2022 and 2024.
Despite the warm conditions, with temperatures around 80 degrees and clear skies on Monday – a stark contrast to the previous day’s thunderstorm that caused a six-hour delay – Tiafoe clarified that his struggles were not due to the heat. He instead attributed his physical condition to potentially over-hydration. “It’s a tough time… I feel like it’s really tough to prepare,” Tiafoe remarked. “I’m happy I got through, happy everyone came out and enjoyed the four hours of tennis that was way longer than it should have been.”
This victory exemplified Tiafoe’s resilience and determination, showcasing his ability to overcome adversity on the court. His commitment to pushing through challenges, even in the face of physical discomfort, underscores his competitive spirit and dedication to his craft as a professional tennis player.
For more tennis news and updates, visit the AP tennis section at https://apnews.com/hub/tennis.
