Frances Tiafoe Discusses His New "Super-Focused" Coach

Earlier this spring, Frances Tiafoe parted ways with his coach after less than six months. Diego Moyano had previously coached Kevin Anderson, Coco Gauff, Tommy Paul, and Reilly Opelka. But his partnership with Tiafoe did not last long.

After searching for a new coach, Tiafoe went with a trusted friend he had known for some time. The 51-year-old had coached Venus Williams and Jessica Pegula. Tiafoe and Witt have worked together for less than two weeks, and so far, it is working out for both parties.

On Thursday, Tiafoe defeated Aslan Karatsev in three sets during the Round of 16 at the Atlanta Open: 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. After the match, Tiafoe was asked about the first few weeks with his new coach.

Frances Tiafoe on his new coaching partnership with David Witt 🗣️@FTiafoe @ATLOpenTennis pic.twitter.com/721H3k5CGU
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) July 25, 2024

"Yeah, it's been good. It's been about a week, a week-and-a-half. Obviously, he's super-focused like me. He's obviously done a great job with me, done a great job with [Jessica] Pegula," said Tiafoe.

Tiafoe continued, "So, it was good to just have him on my team. We've been friends for a long time, so there was an opening for him. I just wanted a fresh start with someone, and I thought he was the perfect guy. Luckily, it's been good so far."

Not only is Tiafoe looking good on the court, but he could win the Atlanta Open. Last night, top-ranked Ben Shelton lost in an upset to J.C. Shang. Tiafoe could pick up momentum heading into the US Open next month.

Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated's Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport and beyond.

Further Reading: Frances Tiafoe's driving skills were critiqued by Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul.