"He has shown that he can compete and win against the best players on Tour" - John McEnroe on new Laver Cup entrant Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe, fresh off his heroics at the 2022 US Open, has been chosen to replace compatriot John Isner in the line-up for Team World at the Laver Cup. The replacement news comes in light of Isner fracturing his wrist prior to his second-round match at Flushing Meadows and pulling out of the tournament prematurely.
Tiafoe made history in New York last week, becoming the first black man since Arthur Ashe in 1972 to reach the semifinals of the US Open. After a victory over Rafael Nadal in the fourth round and Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals, the American fell to eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz in the penultimate stage.
US Open semifinalist Frances Tiafoe returns for a third Laver Cup with Team World when play gets underway at The O2 in London on Friday, September 23.
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John McEnroe, Team World's captain for the competition, was chuffed to have Tiafoe in his squad, remarking that the World No. 19 has raised his game to a "whole new level" this year. Having seen the 24-year-old go toe-to-toe against the very best players in the world, McEnroe was confident that he would be a valuable addition to his squad.
“I am thrilled to have Frances Tiafoe on the team,” McEnroe said in the press release. “He has raised his game to a whole new level and has shown that he can compete and win against the best players on Tour. Plus, he brings a positive energy that should help the entire team.”
"I know what to expect and I think we have a great chance this year of taking the title from Team Europe" - Frances Tiafoe
Frances Tiafoe has competed in the Laver Cup twice before -- in 2017 and 2018. Overall, he has played two singles rubbers, losing both of them. While Marin Cilic defeated Tiafoe in the inaugural edition, Grigor Dimitrov got the better of him in the second edition.
This time around, Tiafoe aims to make a turnaround and score some points for Team World, perhaps even going as far as to help his team break Europe's monopoly on the tournament.
"I love Laver Cup competition. It’s an incredible event and I hope I can win points for Team World in London this time," Tiafoe said in his announcement press release. "I know what to expect and I think we have a great chance this year of taking the title from Team Europe."
Fresh off the back of his US Open semi-final run, Frances Tiafoe has joined the Team World squad for the Laver Cup after John Isner withdrew injured.
For the fifth edition of the Laver Cup, Frances Tiafoe will be joined by Alex de Minaur, Taylor Fritz, Diego Schwartzman, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Jack Sock in Team World. Standing between them and their first title at the Laver Cup is one of the strongest line-ups Team Europe has ever managed to put together: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Casper Ruud and Stefanos Tsitsipas.