Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock combined at the 2022 Laver Cup to defeat Roger Federer in his last match before retirement.
A teary departure from Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal saw the fierce on-court rivals break down in each other’s arms upon defeat at the Laver Cup.
Always set to be Federer’s last outing, American duo Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock were the surprise script-spoilers.
What ended up becoming an entertaining doubles match on the final day of the Laver Cup, Tiafoe has since been reflecting on his involvement as he approaches this year’s event in Berlin.
As one of three Americans representing Team World this time round, Tiafoe will be keen to re-produce the brutal thrashing of Team Europe that occurred last year.
Frances Tiafoe reflects on ‘coolest thing ever’ after facing Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer
The charismatic American has enjoyed a whirlwind summer of success after making the final in Cincinnati and the last four at the US Open.
Despite agony of his own at Flushing Meadows as he ran out of steam in the deciding set of his semi-final against Taylor Fritz, Tiafoe is excited to be back among his Team World colleagues for this year’s Laver Cup.
Having effectively sent Federer into retirement, he recounted the day itself and how the pair operated as a such an unlikely duo.
“I mean, that’s wild,” Tiafoe told the official Laver Cup site. “I’m a kid, like eight, nine years old, watching these guys battle each other. And now, like, you know, at the end, they’re like holding hands, like the respect they have for each other.
“One dude, Spanish, was barely speaking English when he first started. Another dude, you think he’s American with how well he speaks English, and he’s so fly and does everything like they’re so different. But they just love each other and the respect they have for each other is insane.
“So that was probably the coolest thing ever. And I was like, man, it’s just cool to be here. Like, forget what even just happened. It’s cool to be here. Yeah.”
With the pair he describes as ‘Mount Rushmore athletes’ displaying such on and off-court synergy, the memory clearly remains etched into the American’s memory.
Frances Tiafoe’s hard court summer shows he is back for good
A topsy-turvy year for the American saw him frustrated by a number of lower-ranked opponents he ended up labelling as ‘clowns’.
Despite the comment being more of an insult to his own poor form, Tiafoe has managed to overcome these hurdles and regather his form.
An awesome run to the final in Cincinnati was ended by a smart Jannik Sinner display before defeat at the US Open denied the American a rematch with the world number one.
While the Laver Cup remains an exhibition more of camaraderie and team spirit, the event allows players to show off their game against the tour’s best.
Tiafoe is closing in on his career-high ranking of 10 and with new coach David Witt in his corner, the American is looking dead-set on unlocking his best tennis over the coming months.
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