The small grip adjustment that makes all the difference for Tiafoe at the US Open | ATP Tour

US Open

The small adjustment in grip that makes the difference for Tiafoe

The American is innovating in his return games

September 02, 2024

One of the secrets to Frances Tiafoe’s US Open success is in the handle of his racket. Changing the way he grips it when returning his opponents’ serves is paying off this fortnight, as he is already in the quarter-finals. This small adjustment by the American has been wreaking havoc on his opponents along the way, and has made him a better returner.

What is the change all about? Argentine Jordi Arconada, one of his coaches, explains it to ATPTour.com.

“He is someone who, specifically on the right-wing return, likes to block a lot. But that is something we are trying to stop him from doing anymore,” he says.

Before this North American tour on fast courts, he often used a grip close to the continental grip to return, but this limited him if the server aimed to his right. So he could not always comfortably hit this shot, which, under normal circumstances, he executes with a more western.

But the arrival of coach David Witt to his team last July marked a change in that regard.

“The idea with David is that he starts the return with a grip of drive “From the beginning, he always has to mentally believe that his serve is coming to the right,” Arconada adds. “If he does that and they serve him backhand, he can change his grip faster and easier. His backhand return is of a high level. Whereas if he has to change to the right at the last second, he is slower or simply does not do it and blocks. The way we have been doing it, he has improved a lot on the return, especially on the forehand.”

A few days ago, Ben Shelton confirmed that the change is working. ‘Since I’ve been on tour, today is the match in which I’ve had the best service returns,’ were more or less his words after losing to Tiafoe in the third round.

Frances’ numbers in this Sunday’s duel against Alexei Popyrin — whom he beat 6-4, 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-3 — support his good line on return: in addition to breaking three of five possible times, he hit four winners return to reach eight in the tournament (it is the seventh best figure of this edition).

Also, one of his best breaks came at the most critical moment on his side, when his opponent served for the second and had three sets points. “I’m very, very happy with that. I think the second set was a huge win for me. You know, [íbamos] “5-3, 40-0 on serve. And how well he serves… That was really, really important. To break there and then win the set was huge,” explained Tiafoe, who is already No. 20 in the live rankings.

All this is partly due to his renewed vocation as a subtractor.

“I think returns have been something I’ve been doing since I started with David, something he’s focused on a lot, for sure. You know, before we started, he was like, ‘Look, you play your return games too loose. ’ We need to adjust that. And now I’m returning a lot better (…), making the guys play,” Tiafoe explained two days ago.

It has not been easy to adapt to this new way of approaching the rest of the matches. And he still has to make an effort to remember the adjustment when it comes to holding the racket in those moments. Even in training matches.

“Even when he plays practice sets, you have to be on top of him, telling him: ‘Watch out, watch out.’ And you have to be that way on both the first and second serve. On both serves, he has to assume that the ball is coming to the right so that his grip is the same as that shot,” Arconada adds.

“It took some work, and he’s not 100% yet, but it has helped him, especially on this surface. That’s why he’s been returning so well.”

His next opponent will be Grigor Dimitrov, against whom he has a 1-3 record. The Bulgarian, who beat him in the most recent duel between the two (Wimbledon 2023), may believe he has the script clear to beat the American. But on the court, and especially when it is useful, he may have to reinvent himself a little.