Tiafoe savors: "I'm incredibly happy".

Frances Tiafoe is smiling again this week. Plunged into a very difficult season, the American seems to be finding his way back to success.

After a very high-level tournament in Cincinnati, he reached the final, only to be beaten by a Sinner too strong for him (7-6, 6-2).

In any case, he came out of the tournament logically reinvigorated, with a number of important victories, such as those over Rune and Musetti, and a return to the world top 20.

Questioned in the press conference, Tiafoe made no secret of his delight: "I'm incredibly happy with the effort I've put in all week.

Tennis is a funny sport. It's been a tough year.

Since the end of the US Open and my quarter-final last year, I've found it hard to string matches together, taking the game for granted.

Now I'm in a very good situation and I can't be happier than to have reached the final of a Masters 1000, to have had a chance of winning it.

I'm not shocked by the fact that I've played at the level of the best players in the world.

What impressed me most was beating Musetti, who is having a crazy season (finals at Queen's and Umag, semi-finalist at Wimbledon and bronze medallist at the Olympics), and then beating Lehecka and Rune in tough matches."

Satisfied to be back in the world's top 20, he explains: "It sucks to be outside the top 20. I've been in the Top 20 for two years now. So yes, it's a good sign."

With this encouraging result, the 26-year-old inevitably has his eyes set on the US Open, where he could well see himself shining: "I can keep going forward, keep pushing and trying to get back to where I need to be, at the top of the game.

I think I'm one of the best players in the world, but I haven't played like that for most of the year. So I'm happy to be back today.

I love playing in America. I love the US Open. So I always want to be at my best then.

And if it's any indication that I'm playing good tennis, it looks like the US Open will be a very good tournament for me."