Frances Tiafoe Is Finding His Form Again

All of Grandstand held its breath on Monday evening as Frances Tiafoe stepped up to the baseline for a chance to serve out the match against defending champion Jakub Mensik.

After 18 minutes, Tiafoe held a tentative lead at 12-11 in the third set tiebreak. Just minutes earlier, he had three match points on the tip of his racket but was unable to convert due to a massive service hold by Mensik.

Now with a chance to put it away with his powerful, albeit unorthodox, serve, the American took the time to steady himself before moving into his service position. A serve out wide and a mishit backhand from Mensik was all Tiafoe needed to claim his 250th career win.

Big Foe takes down the defending champ ‼️

In a three set thriller with match points on both sides, Tiafoe bests Mensik 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-6(11) 👏

What a match.#MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/3hMbvjyXFR
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) March 23, 2026

"[I] put in a lot of work," Tiafoe said in his on-court interview following the match. "Put in a lot of work to win matches like these, to get myself being able to hang tough and be tough...he was hurting, I was hurting. Day match never easy here in Miami, but great stuff."

Tiafoe becomes the first American man born in 1998 or later, the seventh man overall, to record 250 career wins on tour. But it hasn't been easy. Per the 28-year-old, he "would have lost for sure six months ago" given the ups and downs of his 2025 season.

Last year, Tiafoe struggled to win more than two matches at a tournament until three months into the season in Houston. Of the 49 matches he played last year, he only won 26, his worst season by win percentage since 2019, according to The Athletic.

ABSOLUTE CINEMA 🎬@FTiafoe left it ALL on the court and just look at what this epic win means to him! @MiamiOpen | #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/V5zrenpN1c
— ATP Tour (@atptour) March 23, 2026

He concluded his 2025 season in October following the Shanghai Masters, subsequently announcing his split with Jordi Anaconda and David Witt, two primary members of his team.

The months leading up to the start of the 2026 season called for some soul-searching for the American, which seems to be steadily paying off. A couple of wins down under in Australia boosted his confidence, leading to a quarterfinal run in Delray Beach and a final showing in Acapulco. With back-to-back fourth-round appearances in Indian Wells and Miami, Tiafoe might just be finding his stride again.

Prior to yesterday's showdown, Mensik had won the only match between the two in straight sets at the 2025 Davis Cup. Tiafoe allowed that loss to roll off his back as he took the defending champ to a tiebreak in the first set, neither willing to lose their serve.

A landmark victory 🙌

Match win No. 250 for @FTiafoe #MiamiOpen pic.twitter.com/dAxp3DXPlg
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) March 23, 2026

Tiafoe took the early lead in the tiebreak, leading 4-0. Mensik attempted a comeback, but Big Foe was able to pull it out to win the first set in 54 minutes. The second set was as tiring as it was thrilling, with both players holding until the ninth game, when Mensik broke after a forehand error from Tiafoe for the first and only break of the match.

The pair went another 12 straight games without a break of serve, leaving the match to be decided by another tiebreak. Tiafoe fended off two match points, once with a massive overhead while down 8-7, with another coming off a backhand hit into the net by Mensik while he led 10-9.

Both men were struggling to breathe at one point, exhausted by several long-winded baseline rallies late in the tiebreak. Tiafoe finally sealed the win after two hours and 51 minutes with a serve out wide that Mensik was unable to fire back inbounds.

"There's peace in the presence," Tiafoe said after his match. "What’s in front of you is relevant, and what’s behind you is definitely irrelevant. That’s kind of where I was at with it today.”

The American will face Frenchman Terence Atmane, who defeated compatriot Arthur Rinderknech and seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime en route to the fourth round.