Frances Tiafoe is looking to draw upon the winning spirit of the New York Knicks as he competes in the U.S. Open, aiming to end a long drought for American men's singles champions.
Tiafoe, who advanced to the third round of the tournament with a victory over Rei Sakamoto, noted the presence of numerous Knicks fans in the stands. Despite his allegiance to Washington D.C. sports teams, Tiafoe expressed his admiration for the Knicks' recent NBA Finals victory and hopes to capture some of that positive momentum.
"Hopefully I can go off that Knicks energy, even though I’m a huge DC Sports fan. That was nuts, man. What a run. Happy for them," Tiafoe said following his second-round match. He mentioned texting congratulatory messages to Knicks fans, including actor Ben Stiller, who was in attendance.
The 28-year-old Tiafoe, one of several American players carrying national hopes for a Grand Slam title, even made a bold prediction about his hometown Washington Wizards winning a championship in the upcoming season.
To prepare for his next match against Valentin Vacherot, whom he has not faced before, Tiafoe plans a focused approach. "Watch some tape, be the student," he stated. "Watching runs, see who he has played, what have you. I’ll know a decent amount in a couple of days."
An American man has not won a Grand Slam singles title since Andy Roddick's victory at the U.S. Open in 2003. Tiafoe is seeking to be the next to break that streak.