In a historic moment, Ben Shelton and Frances Tiafoe competed in the first-ever all-African American men’s final in the Open era at Houston. Shelton emerged victorious in three sets with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, securing the title. During the award presentation, Shelton praised Tiafoe as an “inspiration” for young children and players of color and credited him for his amazing representation of the demographic.
Shelton thanked Tiafoe for his contributions to tennis and to people of color, labeling him as a “selfless” person. He also congratulated Tiafoe and his team on a great week but jokingly apologized for preventing Tiafoe from winning back-to-back titles. Tiafoe, the defending champion in Houston, won the championship in 2023 after defeating Tomas Martín Etcheverry in the final.
In his speech, Tiafoe reflected on the difficult season and expressed his pleasure at finally reaching the final. He humorously scolded Shelton for defeating him and expressed hope for better results in the future. Both Shelton and Tiafoe have had a lackluster first quarter of the season, with win-loss records of 15-7 and 10-8, respectively. Neither player had made a final before Houston this year.
