The most important career title for Frances Tiafoe: The 28-year-old won the US final at the grass tournament in Halle, East Westphalia, and won a competition in the 500 series for the first time. Tiafoe beat Zverev conqueror Taylor Fritz 6:4, 6:4 in the final of the Terra Wortmann Open on Sunday.
Tiafoe won all of his previously won titles at the 250 level in Delray Beach 2018, Houston 2023 and on Rasen Stuttgart 2023. The two-time semi-finalist of the US Open had lost a final of the 1000 series (Cincinnati 2024) and three 500 finals before Halle.
Tiafoe, who eliminated Kempen’s Daniel Altmaier in the semifinals, recorded his third win against a top 10 player in Halle, after already defeating French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli and fourth-placed Félix Auger-Aliassime in the world rankings.
Fritz had moved into the final with a three-set win against the physically ailing Paris champion Alexander Zverev, but, like a week earlier in Stuttgart, missed the triumph and his sixth tournament victory on grass. In the new world rankings, Fritz climbs from ninth to seventh place, while former top 10 player Tiafoe returns to the top 20 as number 19.
