Cincinnati (USA), Aug 20 : Despite falling short against World No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Cincinnati Open final, Frances Tiafoe walked away with his head held high, thrilled with his deep run in the ATP Masters 1000 event. For Tiafoe, reaching his first Masters 1000 final was a breakthrough moment in what has been a challenging year.

Insanely happy for the effort I had all week. Tennis is a funny sport, man. It's been a really tough year,' Tiafoe said after his final match. 'Since post-US Open honestly, since I made the quarters there last year, I've struggled to put matches together, taking the game for granted, not having much gratitude. changed coaches, [was] trying to just figure myself out. [I am] in a great situation now, and to be able to make a final in a Masters series, a chance to win it, I couldn't be happier.'

Tiafoe's journey to the final was far from easy, as he took down several top opponents, including Olympic bronze medalist Lorenzo Musetti and former World No. 4 Holger Rune. The American credited his belief in his abilities and his experience against elite players for his success this week.

'It doesn't really shock me or anything that I played tight with the best players in the world. I think I've beaten the best players in the world,' Tiafoe said. 'More [the] thing that stood out to me is beating Musetti, who's had an insane season, and then backing it up and beating Lehecka and beating Rune in a tough match.'

The Cincinnati final was Tiafoe's second championship match of the year, following his appearance in Houston. His efforts have propelled him back into the Top 20 in the PIF ATP Rankings after falling out in March, something that had been weighing on him.

'It sucked being outside of Top 20. I've been in Top 20 for a couple years now. So yeah, that's a great sign,' Tiafoe admitted. 'And now I can just kind of keep going and keep pushing and try to get back to where I need to be in the top of the game. I think I'm one of the better players in the world, but definitely wasn't playing like that for a lot of the year. So happy I am now.'

Coming into Cincinnati, Tiafoe had a 19-18 record for the season, but he rediscovered his form when it mattered most. He emphasised how the depth in men's tennis is making the sport more competitive than ever.

'I just think the depth in tennis is a joke right now. I think anybody can clip anybody. If you're not ready to go, you're going to get clipped. And it showed for me,' he said, citing Jiri Lehecka's upset over Daniil Medvedev and Gael Monfils' win over Carlos Alcaraz as prime examples. 'If you're not sharp, you're just going to lose. It's a good and bad thing. I think, obviously, you guys want to see the top players play on the weekends. But at the same time, it's great for the game of tennis. There are so many good players that can win. Fans get to know new players. So it's great.'

Historically, Tiafoe has shined in this part of the season. He reached his first major semi-final at the US Open two years ago and followed that with a quarter-final run last year. He's optimistic about his chances in New York this year, especially after his strong showing in Cincinnati.

'The ball kind of starts making sense for me in August. I always play really well during this time,' Tiafoe said. 'I love playing in America. I love the US Open. So I always want to be at my best going into that time. And if this is any indication of playing great tennis, it looks like the US Open's going to be a good one.'

/IANS