PARIS (AP) — Frances Tiafoe had some strong words for his opponent during another grueling five-set victory at the French Open on Saturday.
Tiafoe and Portuguese qualifier Jaime Faria started arguing about a call early in the fifth set.
“Don’t act like you’re tough. You’re not hard, bro. Just play,” Tiafoe told Faria.
Faria then complained to the chair umpire as the players approached each other at the net: “You see what he’s saying?”
The chair umpire told both players to be quiet.
Tiafoe won the third-round match 4-6, 6-7 (2), 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-2 in exactly four hours.
“I needed that," Tiafoe said of the exchange. "Because I’m up at the time but I’m still a little nervous. And he was chirping. He definitely gave me a lot of lip. He thought he was (boxer) Ryan Garcia or something."
Tiafoe next meets Matteo Arnaldi, who eliminated Raphael Collignon in a fifth-set tiebreaker after nearly five hours.
Tiafoe also beat Hubert Hurkacz in five sets in the second round.
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. returns to Hubert Hurkacz of Poland during their second round men's singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. reacts as he plays against Hubert Hurkacz of Poland during their second round men's singles tennis match at the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, Thursday, May 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Emma Da Silva)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. finally connected for his first home run of the season — and boy was it a blast.
Tatis slugged a 451-foot solo shot to left field in the fifth inning against Washington on Saturday, although the San Diego Padres went on to lose 9-4 to the Nationals. Tatis, who has five 20-homer seasons in his career and hit 42 in 2021, had not gone deep in 240 plate appearances before this game — the longest drought in the major leagues.
He then singled in the first inning and struck out in the third before his fifth-inning drive off Foster Griffin gave San Diego a 3-1 lead.
“I just knew right away,” Tatis said. “About (expletive) time."
Tatis flipped his bat with his left hand and received a joyous welcome from his San Diego teammates after rounding the bases. It was his first homer since Sept. 27 against Arizona.
“It was very exciting for everybody," manager Craig Stammen said. "He’s been carrying that burden. The team has been carrying that burden.”
For a while it looked like the Padres would be able to celebrate a victory as well. They led 3-1 before the Nationals scored six runs in the seventh.
“There's no off days over here man," Tatis said. "This game will find a way how to still punish you.”
Still, it had to be a relief for Tatis to hit a homer, especially such a prodigious one. The wind was blowing in from left field at 10 mph on Saturday, but Tatis' drive carried well into the seats in left, landing a few rows short of the concourse.
“Bet you he'll sleep a little better tonight, knowing that he has a little ‘one’ on his numbers. He has a lot in his career, but it's different," teammate Xander Bogaerts said. "Everyone knows what the deal is here. Everyone knows he has zero, so I think getting that kind of pressure off his back is nice."
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. hits a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
San Diego Padres' Fernando Tatis Jr. celebrates with his teammates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, May 30, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Daniel Kucin Jr.)
