Frances Tiafoe won his fourth career title on Sunday after beating compatriot Taylor Fritz in the Halle Open final.
Tiafoe, the new world number 19, defeated Fritz 6-4, 6-4 to claim his second career title on the grass courts.
Tiafoe, a former Grand Slam semi-finalist at the US Open, has quickly emerged as a dark horse for the Wimbledon title alongside a number of other Americans.
Who is your early shout to win the men’s Wimbledon title?
However, is Tiafoe a legitimate contender for the Wimbledon title this year?
Sam Querrey has attempted to answer that question while speaking on the Nothing Major Show.
Sam Querrey says Frances Tiafoe is not yet a ‘threat’ for the Wimbledon title
“I think he’s a legitimate threat to make it to a semi-final right now,” Querrey, a former semi-finalist at Wimbledon, stated.
“I can’t say right now he’s a threat to win it. So much depends on the draw too and where does he fall, plus do guys get knocked out early?
“I think Jannik Sinner is the overwhelming favourite still,” he continued. “I don’t think the heat is going to be an issue in Wimbledon.”
“But then when you start getting to Novak, Zverev, Shelton, Fritz, Tiafoe. He’s in the next group now because he won that.
“I think there’s eight guys in the next group where any of them could make a semi or a final, but I’m not going to say that he could win it yet.”
John Isner, a former champion at the Miami Open, went on to highlight the factor that could hamper Tiafoe’s chances of capturing his first Grand Slam title.
With the American being ranked outside of the top 16, he will be projected to play a higher-ranked player in the fourth round – rather than later on in the competition.
“I guess the thing with Foe is that as good as the year he is having, his ranking currently and his seed could hurt him a little bit,” said Isner.
“He could come up against a [Jannik] Sinner in the round of 16.
“I don’t know what he is going to be seeded at Wimbledon just right now, but that could hurt him.”
“He is 19 right now and they don’t do the grass seedings any more, so he will be somewhere outside the top 16,” Steve Johnson, the former world number 21, pointed out.
“Frances has a chance but I think I said it at the French Open. There are 10 to 15 guys who could all make the final if they get the right draw.
“Sinner is still the favourite, I am still not going to count out Novak yet,” Johnson continued.
Projected Wimbledon seedings
- 1 – Jannik Sinner
- 2 – Alexander Zverev
- 3 – Felix Auger-Aliassime
- 4 – Ben Shelton
- 5 – Alex de Minaur
- 6 – Taylor Fritz
- 7 – Novak Djokovic
- 8 – Daniil Medvedev
- 9 – Flavio Cobolli
- 10 – Alexander Bublik
- 11 – Casper Ruud
- 12 – Andrey Rublev
- 13 – Jiri Lehecka
- 14 – Luciano Darderi
- 15 – Jakub Mensik
- 16 – Learner Tien
- 17 – Frances Tiafoe
- 18 – Francisco Cerundolo
- 19 – Karen Khachanov
- 20 – Arthur Fils
“If he doesn’t have a great Wimbledon and loses early again for his standards then you start being like maybe he is not a threat, but this is the one he is going to win with how good he is on this surface.
“But any of these guys could do it, Bublik, Lehecka, Fritz. It would not surprise me if they had a run if they get the soft side of the draw.”
Tiafoe will find out his route to the Wimbledon title on Friday when the men’s singles draw is published.
The event will begin on June 29.
Frances Tiafoe’s previous grass court title
In 2023, Tiafoe won his first grass-court title at the Stuttgart Open.
Tiafoe, the third seed, received an automatic bye through to the second round in Germany.
There, he defeated Jiri Lehecka 7-6, 6-4.
The American then knocked out Lorenzo Musetti in a close three-set battle, triumphing 6-7, 7-6, 6-2.
Tiafoe then beat qualifier Marton Fucsovics in straight sets, setting up a final against Jan Lennard-Struff.
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Tiafoe emerged victorious on that day, beating the home favourite 4-6, 7-6, 7-6.
The American saved one championship point en route to victory, winning the final set tiebreak 10-8.
By triumphing in Stuttgart, Tiafoe had won titles on grass, hard courts and clay.
“That tie-break was wild. It was back and forth, crazy point at 6/5. It was neck and neck,” Tiafoe said afterwards. “He served so well, I wasn’t able to break for three sets but I stayed with and I could not be happier with my effort.
“I have now won a title on all three surfaces. It shows I am a complete player and when I am locked in I can compete on all three surfaces.”
