Frances Tiafoe sends touching message to Jenson Brooksby for overcoming difficult period in his life after Houston final battle

Frances Tiafoe opened up about his feelings after losing the 2025 ATP Houston title to compatriot Jenson Brooksby. The 27-year-old congratulated his rival while acknowledging his struggles over the last two years, and hoped for more matches between them.

Tiafoe made it to the ATP Houston finals for the third consecutive year. After beating formidable opponents in Brandon Nakashima, Alex Michelsen, and others, he couldn't make it past Jenson Brooksby in the finals. He lost 6-4, 6-2 to his compatriot in a one-sided showdown, marking his second consecutive defeat in a US Clay court final.

After his defeat against Jenson Brooksby, Tiafoe expressed disappointment over his performance and said:

“I wish I could’ve given you guys a better final today," Frances Tiafoe said.

He also congratulated Brooskby's performance following a difficult period in his life, saying:

"First I wanna congratulate Jenson. What a week. Coming from qualies. Down match points. Ton of crazy matches. To win a title.. you’ve been through a lot the last couple of years. I know this is massive for you and your team. Keep going brother," he added.

Besides wishing Brooskby the best, Tiafoe also wished the two would compete against each other in the future.

"Hopefully more battles. I’ve gotta get you," he said.

While Frances Tiafoe missed out on his fourth singles title, Brooksby earned his first, becoming the third lowest-ranked champion in ATP Tour history (ranked No. 507).

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Jenson Brooksby credits team and Houston crowd after win over Frances Tiafoe

Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship - Final Day - Source: Getty

Jenson Brooksby couldn't hold back his excitement after winning his first-ever ATP title in Houston. The 24-year-old credited his team for their work throughout the tournament and said:

"Thank you to my team. All the way from qualifying, match point down. That's pretty intense, so thanks for sticking with it, every match, every day here for me," he said.

Brooksby also thanked the crowd for their support throughout his campaign in Houston.

"The support has been amazing since Round 1 of qualifying. Thank you, everybody. I've loved the support here and it's great to be back in Texas," he added.

Brooksby's first-ever singles title came after a challenging campaign as he battled past tough rivals including Alejandro Tabilo, Aleksandar Kovacevic, and top-seeded Tommy Paul. Brooskby entered the 250-level tournament ranked 507, but climbed up to World No. 172 courtesy of his title win.