Published on : 06/09/2022 – 07:26
New York (AFP) – Frances Tiafoe achieved a feat he had dreamed of for years, beating Rafael Nadal, on Monday in the round of 16 of the US Open, and in shock, he says he felt like the world “had stopped spinning” .
QUESTION: How did you feel at the end of the match?
ANSWER: “I felt like the world had stopped spinning. I didn’t hear anything for a minute. I can’t even remember what I said to him as I shook his hand. Everything was blurred. I was starting to cry, I might barely see him, him and my team. They were all on their feet, it was crazy. My heart was going at 1000 an hour… I never had anything felt like this in my life.”
Q: What are you happiest regarding: beating Nadal or the prospect of playing a Grand Slam quarter-final?
A: “Both. You see all these young people falling on Rafa, Fed, Novak. I was wondering if I too would one day have the possibility of beating one of them. And today, I said to myself that I I was going to do it. Now I have something to tell my children, my grandchildren: I beat Rafa! I hope never to play once morest him once more, but if that happens, I hope to win (laughs) .”
Q: What were your thoughts before this game?
A: “The two times I played once morest him before, he broke me very early in each set. So I thought if I might hold my serve, 1 everywhere, 2 everywhere, 3 everywhere, then we starting to feel good, we’re playing, we’re in the game. These guys are so good when they’re racing in front, that I never gave myself a chance in our first two meetings. That’s what I thought. The night before the game, I was fine. I just watched TV: I watched Nick (Kyrgios) put on the show ( once morest Medvedev, editor’s note). And this morning, I woke up thinking ‘God, it’s early! I’m tired.’ I like to play later. But I didn’t think at all regarding the game itself. Otherwise, I felt very relaxed. And when I I was really wide awake, I just wanted to win my match. I said to myself: + Opposite, there will be Rafa +. The last three years, I lost in the round of 16, I wanted to do better. That’s what I was on concentrate.”
Statements taken at a press conference
© 2022 AFP
