American tennis is celebrating a breakthrough at Roland Garros as Frances Tiafoe and Tommy Paul both advanced to the French Open quarterfinals, marking the first time in 22 years that two American men have reached this stage in Paris.
Tommy Paul delivered a commanding straight-sets victory over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, shaking off a slow start and capitalizing on Popyrin’s 37 unforced errors Paul’s efficient win, after two grueling five-set matches earlier in the tournament, makes him just the ninth American man in the Open Era to reach Grand Slam quarterfinals on all three surfaces.
Frances Tiafoe joined Paul with a straight-sets win over Daniel Altmaier, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(4), maintaining his perfect record without dropping a set in the tournament Tiafoe’s aggressive play and clutch performance in key moments proved decisive, especially in the tiebreaker that sealed his victory.
Paul now faces defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, while Tiafoe is set to play Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti. With both Americans in top form, fans are left wondering: who will carry the U.S. hopes deeper into the French Open—and can either break the long drought since Andre Agassi’s 1999 title run?
