Frances Tiafoe Makes Astonishing Bid to Win All Four Grand Slam Titles Ahead of the North American Swing

Frances Tiafoe will commence his singles campaign at Mubadala Citi DC Open against compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Frances Tiafoe Makes Astonishing Bid to Win All Four Grand Slam Titles Ahead of the North American Swing

Frances Tiafoe (image via Instagram @bigfoe1998)

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World No. 11 Frances Tiafoe is in Washington, DC, for the Mubadala Citi DC Open. Before starting his singles campaign against compatriot Aleksandar Kovacevic, Tiafoe addressed the press conference at DC, speaking about how amazing it is to see the people of color making their mark in the sport.

He spoke about the way Arthur Ashe paved the way for other people of color to prove themselves in tennis. Ashe remains the only black man to win a singles title at the US Open, Australian Open, or Wimbledon. He also led the US to triumph for three consecutive years (1968–70) in the Davis Cup.

The Williams sisters also further dominated the sport with 30 combined Grand Slams in singles and 14 Grand Slams together in women’s doubles, serving as an inspiration not only to black women, but to everyone worldwide.

Venus Williams has now returned to the WTA tour after a year, at the age of 45, at the Washington Open. She had a stunning straight set victory in her opening round against World No. 35 Peyton Stearns and will face Magdalena Frech in the round of 16. With this win, Venus has become the second oldest woman to win a match at the WTA tour. Tiafoe remarked:

It’s also amazing to help, to see that more people of color want to watch the sport, play it, be close to it, learn more about it. We used to have some guys who did incredible things, like Arthur Ashe, and we want to keep going, just continue like that…

Tiafoe also spoke about his chances of completing the career Grand Slam. In the men’s tour, this elusive feat has been accomplished only by few stars in the Open Era—Rod Laver, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic. The current top two players, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, are one major title away from completing their career Grand Slam. Tiafoe further added:

I feel like now I have a chance to win all four Grand Slams, and that changed my mentality. That made me realize that it doesn’t matter what you have or haven’t done before. I think if you’re ready to start and have the right mindset, if you’re happy and have the passion you need, then you can achieve practically anything.

Tiafoe has had a fairly decent run in Grand Slams. The American reached the semifinals of the US Open twice, in 2022 and 2024. He has also reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open and Roland Garros. His best run at Wimbledon has been up to the fourth round.

Frances Tiafoe’s Washington Open kit

Frances Tiafoe will be sporting a special kit when he takes the court for his first match at his hometown ATP 500 tournament, the Mubadala Citi DC Open. The 27-year-old’s kit by Lululemon is inspired by DC-themed colors. It is highlighted by special-edition graphics on his hoodie and a color scheme to celebrate the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

The kit pays homage to Tiafoe’s roots growing up in the DMV (Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia), specifically playing tennis in his younger days at the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park, Maryland.

Frances Tiafoe Washington Open 2025
Frances Tiafoe (image via Instagram @bigfoe1998)

Tiafoe has long celebrated his love of sports and hometown teams, donning jerseys and kits from the Commanders, the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the WNBA’s Washington Mystics, the Maryland Terrapins of the NCAA, and plenty more during practices.

Also Read: Venus Williams Reveals Her Signature Wave and Twirl Celebration is Inspired by Anne Hathaway’s ‘The Princess Diaries’