Frances Tiafoe returns to his home tournament in Washington, DC ready to rise.
The 53rd-ranked Tiafoe, who faces wild card Jenson Brooksby in his Citi Open opener tonight, is coming off a productive grass-season.
More: Kyrgios Hints at Retirement
Tiafoe won Nottingham Challenger, reached the Queen's Club quarterfinals and upset Roland Garros finalist Stefanos Tsitsipas in the Wimbledon first round en route to a third-round appearance at The Championships.
Working with coach and former Top 10 standout Wayne Ferreira, Tiafoe has sharpened his point construction and employed his attacking skills with more frequency posting a 15-14 record. The 23-year-old Tiafoe believes he can surpass his career-high ranking of No 29 and make a run to the Top 10.
"I think I've been playing great tennis. Honestly, I just got to keep staying at where I'm staying at," Tiafoe told the media at the Citi Open. "I've been winning a lot of matches lately, a lot more convincingly as well. The rankings now are obviously tough, as well. They're not really showing how well you're actually playing. But I think everyone's in the same boat.
"I think if I can keep more consistent weeks back to back, I'll be all right. It's not really about getting back to 29 in the world. I see myself as a top 15, top 10 guy. It's not really getting back to 29 in the world. I know I can do that. Being at the top of the game is what I'm approaching."
The winner of the Tiafoe-Brooksby match will face either second-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime or Andreas Seppi in round two.
Photo credit: Christopher Levy