Frances Tiafoe expressed how he felt after hearing what Jannik Sinner said after their Cincinnati Masters final.
The 27-year-old reached the championship in Ohio in 2024, and faced the World number one for the chance to win his first Masters 1000 title.
Last August, Sinner claimed a 7-6 6-2 victory to win the third of his four Masters 1000 championships.
But it is what happened in the aftermath of that match that sent shockwaves through the tennis world and left Tiafoe somewhat confused.
Photo by Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Frances Tiafoe came up short in his quest to beat Sinner in the 2024 Cincinnati Masters final.
The following day, the tennis world was rocked when it was announced that Sinner had tested positive for banned substance clostebol on two occasions.
Tiafoe has since said he found Sinner’s post-match comments about going through tough times somewhat weird at the time, but after hearing the news of his positive doping test, it became clear.
“Unbelievable timing! I landed and my phone was blowing up with people saying ‘they should have given you the title and this and that’. I was in shock!,” Tiafoe told The Changeover Podcast.
“It was weird because now looking back in his press conference he was like I have been through a lot of tough moments and I looked like him like! My son hasn’t lost since March!
“He is talking about a lot of tough moments this year. When he said that I was holding my phone and I was like what are you saying right now, is there a language barrier? What is he talking about right now?
“I was like my man not even saying anything! So then fast forward that and then I was like oh that’s probably what he was talking about!”
Frances Tiafoe shares his opinion Jannik Sinner’s doping ban
Tiafoe could not believe that the news of Sinner’s doping ban came just after their Cincinnati Masters final.
During his appearance on the Changeover Podcast Tiafoe shared his thoughts on Sinner’s ban, which has lasted three months.
Ahead of Sinner’s return at the Italian Open, Tiafoe did not hold back on what he thought of the length of his ban and the timing of it.
Photo by Ion Alcoba Beitia/Getty Images
“Look, you never really know what really happened. Obviously you hope he did things the right way. You never really know what really happened,” Tiafoe added.
“I mean, the whole drug system, WADA, was on his a—. The doping system definitely did their due diligence and tried to get him but it is what it is. I mean, I definitely think it’s funny with the timing of everything. With the ban and everything. But it is what it is.
“I don’t want to complain about it. At the end of the day, I just want to beat him. I don’t really care. But a lot of things are moving to Italy. A lot of our top guys in the ATP, CEO’s whatever, are Italian. The year-end finals are in Italy.
“He is Italian so obviously he is good for the game in that market for sure right now. So it is what it is. We will see him back in Rome in a little bit and hopefully he enjoys his three month vacation!”