After ‘one of the worst first bowls in history’ Frances Tiafoe wins Brisbane opener | ATP tour | Tennis

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After ‘one of the worst first bowls in history’ Tiafoe wins the opener against Brisbane

There are a record eight Americans in the Brisbane draw
January 4, 2026

Frances Tiafoe and Learner Tien may have ended the 2025 season in very different ways, but both started the new year in impressive fashion on Sunday at the Brisbane International presented by ANZ.

After losing his last five matches of 2025, Tiafoe responded with a composed 6-2, 6-2 victory over Aleksandar Vukic. The world number 30 scored 12 winners while making just eight unforced errors in a neat 60-minute match.

“It’s good to be back in Brisbane,” said Tiafoe, who also attended the Brisbane Heat cricket match on Friday. “I think I had one of the worst first bowls in history… But that was a lot of fun. It was a great first cricket experience for me.”

Tiafoe, the former No. 10 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, now awaits a second-round meeting with top seed Daniil Medvedev or Marton Fucsovics.

Ten was also a winner on Day 1 in Brisbane. The 20-year-old recorded a hard-fought 7-6(4), 6-3 victory over Camilo Ugo Carabelli, continuing the form that saw him win back-to-back titles in Metz and at the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF until the end of 2025.

“It was a much tougher game than the score seems,” said Tien, who is making his Brisbane debut. “First win of the year… I’m really happy to kickstart my Australian swing with a win and I’m feeling good. It feels crazy that it’s already been a year since I was last here [in Australia]. I really have great memories here, going back to juniors, and I’m super happy to be back.”