Never before the 2026 Cincinnati Open had two Black players played in a Masters final. On Sunday, though, American Frances Tiafoe will play Frenchman Arthur Fils to see who takes home the trophy. Both are worthy of winning the title and have had tremendous runs at the tournament.
When asked by the media about the historic final, Tiafoe offered an expectedly great response, saying, "Wow. I didn't think about that...(I have a) ton of respect for people of color playing the game, and obviously, you know that's great representation for a bunch of kids looking up to (Tiafoe and Fils) and wanting to be in our position, and that's what it's about."
Exactly. Tiafoe obviously is proud to be a part of the final, but he also understands that the event could be, and hopefully will be, bigger than himself and Fils. For children to want to be involved in something, it helps to see people who look like them participating in the event.
Frances Tiafoe talks about his historic Cincinnati Open final against Arthur Fils
The shocking part is that the Cincinnati Open is the first Masters final to feature two Black players. That is because it's almost more of a game of chance, as there have been plenty of great players of color. In the future, maybe there will be even more. Tennis is a great sport, of course, and having lots of nations and cultures involved only makes it better.
As for the final itself, it should be epic. Tiafoe has reached the Cincinnati Open final before, but lost in straight sets in 2024 to Jannik Sinner. The American hasn't yet won a Masters before, but after a bit of a struggle to begin 2026, he could use that as a boon to have high-end success at the upcoming US Open.
The 22-year-old Fils appears to be finding his footing on the ATP Tour in the last two years. In 2026, he has reached at least the semifinals at three Masters tournaments. The Cincinnati Open is his first Masters final, but almost certainly not his last. He has too much power and moves around the court too well not to have sustained success, as long as he can stay healthy.
Win or lose in the final, Arthur Fils and Frances Tiafoe have had success in terms of rankings. In the live ATP rankings before the final, the Frenchman has moved up 10 spots to a career-high of No. 11. Tiafoe has moved up 11 spots to No. 12. The former top-10 player could get back to that level should he have a deep run at the US Open. In 2025, he only reached the third round.
Add us as a preferred source on Google