Frances Tiafoe became the first American to reach the US Open semifinals since Andy Roddick in 2006 but unfortunately lost to Carlos Alcaraz in front of former First Lady of the United States (FLOTUS) Michelle Obama.
Tiafoe, 24, couldn’t become the first American male to win the US Open in nearly two decades, or the first Black man to do so since 1968, but he still put on some amazing performances that earned him the support of A-list celebrities.
Tiafoe on reaching US Open semis: American tennis is in a great place
The former FLOTUS was seen courtside cheering on Tiafoe, giving each other the thumbs-up early on in the contest.
She also clapped when Tiafoe won the tiebreak to secure the opening set, chanted “TI-AH-FOE,” and looked nervous during the fifth set.
Michelle was accompanied by USTA Board of Directors President Michael J. McNulty III and model-turned-philanthropist Jill McCormick.
Frances Tiafoe’s US Open journey
Tiafoe tried holding back tears during the postgame interview but broke down when Michelle was shown on the big screen.
Despite the loss, Tiafoe’s US Open journey will be one to remember for all Americans.
He defeated Rafael Nadal to advance to the quarterfinals and then took care of Andrey Rublev in three straight sets.
Tiafoe became the latest American athlete to win over the entire country, and his meteoric rise to stardom is just getting started.
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