Frances Tiafoe had raised concerns about his ability to compete in the remainder of the North American hardcourt swing after being forced to retire during his third-round clash at the Canadian Open.
However, the world No. 23 has overcome his fitness issues and bounced back in impressive fashion at the Cincinnati Open, which sparked a hilarious exchange with Learner Tien after their all-American showdown.
Inside Frances Tiafoe and Learner Tien’s Post-Match Exchange at the Cincinnati Open
After a mid-match retirement against Arthur Rinderknech in Montreal, Tiafoe revealed that he had been struggling with a right-hand injury for some time. The American then underwent surgery to have a cyst removed from his hand, casting doubt over his fitness with the US Open looming.
Tiafoe has eased those concerns with a strong display at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati. Following a first-round bye, the No. 17 seed kicked off his campaign with a dominant 6-3, 6-4 win over Lorenzo Sonego.
The 28-year-old then engaged in a closely contested battle with Learner Tien in the third round. After the match headed into a decider, Tiafoe secured a crucial break of serve and went on to clinch a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory after battling for two hours and nine minutes.
As the players met at the net for the post-match handshake, Tien playfully accused Tiafoe of lying about his injury and joked that his surgery was fake, making his fellow American crack up.
“You’re not injured, bro. You’re not injured. You’re lying. That surgery was fake. That surgery was fake. Your wrist is fine. Stop lying,” Tien said.
“When you’re my age, you’ll know bro,” Tiafoe responded.
Tiafoe got his own playful dig in during his on-court interview, humorously describing Tien as annoying. He also made an honest admission about his fitness not being at its best.
“He [Learner] is annoying as hell,” Tiafoe said. “Gets so many balls back and keeps making you play. [It felt like] I just got finished…. My body is not feeling the best, but these matches are big. We just have to get through and have the chance to play at our maximum.”
The two ATP stars are no strangers to such lighthearted exchanges. Following a practice session at Wimbledon in June, Tien playfully accused Tiafoe of “scamming” him out of $500, with the 28-year-old hitting back with a hilarious response.
MORE: Frances Tiafoe Makes Girlfriend Ayan Tear Up With Birthday Surprise in Cincinnati Days After Surgery
Frances Tiafoe will face another tough test in the fourth round of the Cincinnati Open, taking on No. 2 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime. Although Auger-Aliassime will enter the clash with a 3-1 lead in their head-to-head record, Tiafoe claimed a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(12) victory in their most recent encounter at the Terra Wortmann Open earlier this season.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.