NEW YORK – Frances Tiafoe is a big NBA fan and enjoys training in different player jerseys.
In 2022, during his run to the semifinals of the US Open, Tiafoe wore a 76ers jersey from Joel Embiid before defeating 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal in the fourth round.
A year ago, the Maryland native practiced at the Open wearing a Knicks jersey worn by Immanuel Quickley. Tiafoe had attended a Knicks game in December and talked with Quickley, who has since been traded to the Toronto Raptors.
And on Wednesday, 20th-seeded Tiafoe arrived at the Open (by accident) wearing Jalen Brunson’s Knicks jersey – and then hugged new Knicks star Mikal Bridges in the stands after his first-round win over Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan.
“It’s funny,” Tiafoe said. “I was actually going to wear a Mikal Bridges jersey because he was coming to the game today and he texted me that he was coming to the game, but I’m just not a morning person, so I put (the Brunson jersey) on and then when I took it off to go to practice, I was like, ‘My God, Jalen.’
“But yeah, Brunson, he’s the man here. He’s almost bigger than Jay-Z.”
Brunson was recently named captain of the Knicks and earned praise from former Villanova coach Jay Wright.
Earlier this summer, Brunson agreed to a four-year, $156.5 million contract extension beginning in 2025-26, leaving $113 million for next year to give the Knicks more flexibility to trade and sign free agents.
As for Bridges, who was acquired in June in a lucrative trade with the rival Nets, Tiafoe said a friendship is developing between them.
“A mutual friend brought us together,” he said. “I’m friends with a lot of guys in the league just because I follow a lot of basketball and do a lot of basketball celebrations. I did his celebration for him after the game and he laughed.”
“Yeah, I mean, it’s all just, you know, my love of basketball and them just following me because someone of color plays tennis. That’s kind of the connection.”
In his next game, Tiafoe will face another black American player: Atlanta native Ben Shelton.
A year ago, unseeded Shelton Tiafoe was swept out of the quarterfinals en route to his first Grand Slam semifinal, where he lost to eventual champion Novak Djokovic.
Now the two American stars will meet in the third round on Friday and Tiafoe is looking for revenge.
“I definitely hope we play again,” he said before Shelton won his match in straight sets. “I definitely want to play against him. He’s a lot like me in terms of his enthusiasm and energy on the court, he has such a big game, such big shots, such big serves and he fires up the crowd.”
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Adam Zagoria is a freelance reporter covering Seton Hall and college basketball in New Jersey for NJ Advance Media. You can follow him on Twitter @Subscribe and visit his website at ZAGSBLOG.com.
