Frances Tiafoe shows off new Diana Shnaider-inspired look at Cincinnati Open

August 9, 2025

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Frances Tiafoe, better known to tennis fans as “Big Foe,” has arrived in Cincinnati with a new look. Tiafoe will play against Spain’s Roberto Carballés Baena in the first round on Saturday, August 9. However, his look is grabbing attention on social media ahead of the match.

On Friday, August 8, Tennis Channel shared a clip where Tiafoe is seen training for the Cincinnati Masters. He trained in a black sleeveless top, white wristbands, and a patterned bandana. The video was captioned:

“BIG FOE, BIG VIBES 🔥💙”

Tiafoe made sure to share it on his Instagram Story with a nod to fellow tennis pro Diana Shnaider, writing:

"New look?? Appreciate u @d_shnaider."

It's unclear what Diana Shnaider had to do with this new look of Frances Tiafoe. There's a good chance he was inspired by Shnaider for this look since she also sports a bandana in her game-day outfits.

Cincinnati in focus after mixed recent results for Frances Tiafoe

Frances Tiafoe is coming off a strong performance at the Canadian Open in Toronto (National Bank Open). After defeating Aleksandar Vukic, Tiafoe played a three-set thriller against Alex de Minaur in the fourth round. De Minaur went on to win the match, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

At the Citi Open, Ben Shelton defeated Tiafoe in the quarterfinal. Before that, at the All England Club, Tiafoe suffered a second-round exit at the hands of Cameron Norrie.

“I mean the game’s getting much, much, much deeper. I mean, you’ve got to think, not so long ago, Cam made the semifinals here," Tiafoe said after his shocking Wimbledon exit in the second round. "Now I’m playing the second round. You have floaters like that, and then you have some young guys are playing well."

“The game’s just really tough. It’s not like how it used to be, where you can kind of, I mean, quote unquote, like get to your seedings easier. Now everyone, a lot of guys you don’t even know that come out and play, and by that time, you find yourself battling like in the deep in the fourth and fifth,” he added.

The closest Frances Tiafoe has come to winning the title was in the final of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships in Houston. There, he was defeated 6-4, 6-2 by Jenson Brooksby.

The American is now set to kick off his Cincinnati Open campaign, facing Roberto Carballes Baena in the Round of 64. Oddsmaker favors Tiafoe, giving him a 73% chance to win.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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