"Frances Tiafoe is pretty much my favorite player to watch, so I couldn't not tune in" - Tommy Paul on being inspired by compatriot's US Open 2022 run
Tommy Paul booked his spot in the second week of the US Open for the first time, downing Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in four sets on Friday. For inspiration, the American didn't have to look too far, as it was his compatriot Frances Tiafoe who ended up helping him the most.
Tiafoe had a career-best run at the US Open last year, downing the likes of Rafael Nadal and Andrey Rublev to reach the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.
Paul had reached the third round before being beaten by eventual runner-up Casper Ruud in five sets. It was the first time the American had won a match at Flushing Meadows, having exited in the first round on four previous occasions.
After his 6-1, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 win over Davidovich Fokina, Paul revealed that he tuned in to watch Tiafoe's matches in New York last year despite his own painful loss.
The 26-year-old opined that he was not the only one to have been inspired by Tiafoe but that it gave an impetus to all the other Americans on tour, showing them that they too can play at the same level.
"I think all the Americans kind of feel that way. I remember after losing last year, I had never won a match at the Open before last year, so I won two five-set matches that I was, like, proud of. Then I lost the match to Casper. I thought the match, like, was overall super high quality until the last set. Then I was pretty bummed, but normally when I'm done with tournaments, I don't watch any more," Tommy Paul said.
"But, like, 'Foe is pretty much my favorite player to turn on and watch, so I couldn't not tune in and watch it. It was super exciting to watch 'Foe play here last year. It was awesome. Going into every similar match that he played, I was, like, 'Foe's gonna win this match, 'Foe's gonna win this match. It not only brings confidence to him but also to us, because we all know that we can play at that level, too," he added.
Tiafoe has seen off Adrian Mannarino in a fourth set tiebreak to book his place in the second week.
"It's just maybe it's there in the back of your mind" - Tommy Paul on whether Frances Tiafoe's US Open run helped him in his Australian Open 2023 run
The very next Grand Slam after Frances Tiafoe reached the semifinals, Tommy Paul reached a semifinal of his own, at the 2023 Australian Open. The American fell to eventual champion Novak Djokovic in his maiden last four appearance at a Major.
Asked whether Tiafoe's run had helped him directly, Paul said that that was not the case, adding that it was possible that his compatriot's success was on the back of his mind.
"I don't really know. I think maybe a little bit, but, like, when I'm in Australia, I'm not thinking, like, 'Foe made semis, I can make semis. It's just maybe it's there in the back of your mind, but I'm not thinking about it now," Tommy Paul said.
Up next at the US Open, Tommy Paul takes on Ben Shelton in an All-American fourth-round clash -- a repeat of their quarterfinal contest at the Australian Open this year.