MELBOURNE, Australia — In a gripping first-round match at the Australian Open on Monday, Frances Tiafoe overcame significant adversity to secure a five-set victory, even experiencing nausea during the game. Tiafoe, the 17th seed and set to celebrate his 27th birthday next week, triumphed over France’s Arthur Rinderknech with scores of 7-6 (2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3 after a marathon match lasting four hours and eight minutes.

In reflection on his struggle during the match, Tiafoe admitted that he might have chosen to withdraw if it had been a less significant event. “If it was any other, probably, event, I probably would have let it go,” he noted, discussing the discomfort he experienced late in the fourth set. “But here, you got to lay it all on the line.” His resilience is particularly noteworthy considering his past success at this tournament, where he reached the quarterfinals in 2019 before being eliminated by Rafael Nadal.

Since that breakthrough, Tiafoe has continued to make strides in his career, having advanced to the semifinals at the U.S. Open both in 2022 and 2024. Despite encountering temperatures around 80 degrees during the match — a sunny day following a thunderstorm that caused a delay of over six hours on Sunday — Tiafoe clarified that it was not the heat that affected him during the contest that commenced at 11 a.m.

Instead, he speculated that he may have consumed too much water prior to the match, leading to his discomfort. “It’s a tough time… I feel like it’s really tough to prepare,” Tiafoe explained. “I’m happy I got through, happy everyone came out and enjoyed the four hours of tennis that was way longer than it should have been.” His determination and commitment to the game were evident, and fans were thrilled to witness his perseverance through such a challenging match.