Frances Tiafoe has improved by leaps and bounds as a player. The road to winning a Grand Slam title is difficult but consistency is key. And Tiafoe has shown consistency in spades over the last few months. He has rightfully earned the praise showered on him.
Kevin Durant is the latest celebrity to speak highly of Tiafoe. Durant, the American basketball player, and NBA star praised Tiafoe for his performance in the Citi Open.
Frances took on Aslan Karatsev in front of a packed stadium. He defeated Karatsev in a thrilling match and Durant himself appeared on the court to congratulate Tiafoe on his win.
HERE HE COMES 💥@KDTrey5 @FTiafoe #MubadalaCitiDCOpen pic.twitter.com/Oa5v1OGzKf
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) August 2, 2023
“It was a lot of energy and it was exciting. I’m glad he got the win. Yeah, he’s just bringing that energy from this area. He represents right. So, we’re all proud of him,” said Durant during the interview.
Fans immediately noticed that Durant looked high during the interview. A user commented that Durant looked “high as a kite” when speaking.
Smoke more weed Turtle smoke more weed
— Will (@twentee7) August 2, 2023
Was high as a kite
— airpodlessjonny (@jonnyveldhorst) August 2, 2023
Durant is a basketball legend. He was named NBA’s most valuable player in 2017 and 2018. While we do not know if Kevin Durant really was high, it should not take away from Tiafoe’s victory.
The inspirational rise of Frances Tiafoe
Tiafoe, or ‘big Foe’ as he is lovingly known, is being hailed as the new hope for Black men in tennis. He has all the qualities to really make a difference in American tennis and his success proves it.
From the way, he carries himself on the tennis court, to his powerful backhands and forehands, Tiafoe has charmed tennis fans. His breakthrough was in the US Open of 2022, where he demolished Rafael Nadal in four sets.
Tiafoe opened up about how he used to sneak into the venue as a kid. “I used to sneak into this event. Same security guards that, you know were back then are here. And we still laugh about it. They were saying, ‘Thank God I used to let you in back then,” he said.
Frances Tiafoe on beating Karatsev in Washington
“It means the world to me. When I was 6 years old I used to sneak into this event. It was the 1st time I watched tennis live. Now I’m packing the stadium. It’s unbelievable. I love you guys. I love you guys so much. I love DC” ❤️ pic.twitter.com/HoIdTJM323
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 2, 2023
Tiafoe also added that he hopes to win the Citi Open, in addition to Grand Slams. “And now you know, I just really want to win this event. I mean, outside of winning Slams and maybe Masters series, this is definitely up there,” Frances added.
Frances Tiafoe definitely has what it takes to be a Grand Slam winner. He also has the crowd’s support which is a testament to his growing popularity. Tiafoe will face Junchen Shang in the third round of the Citi Open.