Frances Tiafoe pays tribute to ‘MILLION BUCKS’ Roger Federer after the Swiss maestro’s heroic entry at the Center Court
Frances Tiafoe was asked how he would feel about finding himself on Centre Court with Roger Federer watching him play.
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Roger Federer (left) and Frances Tiafoe (right) (Image via: Wimbledon)
World No.10 Frances Tiafoe has been drawing attention with his blistering tennis for the last couple of days. The American tennis sensation has also begun his conquest at the ongoing Wimbledon with a dominant 7-6, 6-3, 6-4 win against Wu Yibing. In a post-match talk show, Tiafoe opened up about one of his favorites and tennis legend, Roger Federer.
Frances Tiafoe was asked how he would feel about finding himself on the Centre Court with Roger Federer watching him play. He replied, “Definitely… Nerve-wracking… When he is there watching, I was just like, Gosh, man, I am gonna miss it (laughing). But yeah, that’s gonna be something. What a legend. It’s still tough that he is not playing; he is such an icon and so good for the sport.”
For the uninitiated, Tiafoe has always been a fan of Federer’s calm and composed playing style and his ability to take the game to the very end. Highlighting Federer’s impeccable composure on the court, the 25-year-old noted, “He still looks like a million bucks in that suit. The funny thing is, he looked like that on the court. He’d never sweat.”
Tiafoe had also faced Federer at the 2022 Laver Cup, which was the Swiss’s last-ever tournment.
How did Tiafoe feel about playing against the great Swiss at his last-ever match?
For context, Tiafoe was registered for the 2022 Laver Cup, where he even got the golden chance to play against Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a doubles match, which was Federer’s last-ever match before his retirement. As expected, the environment was extremely emotional, as it was time to bid the 20-time Grand Slam title champion a final goodbye.
Everyone wanted Federer and Nadal to play together once and for all, and that dream was finally turned into reality. However, little did the world expect that the last ever match of the great man would turn into defeat at the hands of another young prospect.
After the match, Tiafoe said, “To play against them, even if one of them weren’t retiring, to play against them together is iconic, and as Fed’s last match… So, that’s even more iconic, and the crowd is going wild,” he recalled.“
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Soumyadeep Mondal
(882 Articles Published)