"Bigger clown than Ben Shelton" "Too proud for a mediocre player"- Fans annoyed as Frances Tiafoe imitates LeBron James celebration at Cincinnati Open
Frances Tiafoe celebrated his second-round victory over Lorenzo Musetti at the 2024 Cincinnati Open on August 14 by imitating the 'Too Small' gesture, a signature move of NBA stars like LeBron James. However, the American tennis star has since faced criticism from fans for his choice of celebration.
Tiafoe began his campaign in Cincinnati with a hard-fought 6-3, 7-6(6) victory over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, setting up a clash with reigning Olympic bronze medalist Musetti. Both players put on a strong performance, but the American ultimately defeated the Italian 6-3, 6-2 in just 68 minutes, moving one step closer to securing his first title of the season.
However, what caught everyone's attention was Tiafoe's decision to mimic the NBA's 'Too Small' celebration after his win. In basketball, it is used when a player scores on a defender they consider too small to stop them, lowering a hand to the ground as a taunt. Players like James, Patrick Beverley, and Jose Alvarado have famously used this move.
Watch Frances Tiafoe's celebration here:
Tennis fans have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to criticize Tiafoe's actions. One user referenced a comment made by the 26-year-old two months ago, where he mentioned that "he was losing to clowns," writing:
"I'm beginning to dislike him. First, it was him saying he was 'losing to nobodys,' now this. Too proud for a mediocre player.
"Hitting the 'too small' celebration on Lorenzo Musetti, who just won an Olympic Medal, is disrespectful and embarrassing," another wrote.
One account wrote that Frances Tiafoe is a "bigger clown" than his compatriot, Ben Shelton:
"Tiafoe is a bigger clown than Shelton."
"Lebron is legitimate to do so because he has done everything in his sport, what have Tiafoe done?" one user questioned.
"I like for but damn first calling his opponents clowns and then hitting the to small celebration unprovoked while his opponents back is turned is wild," another posted.
One account chimed in, writing:
"Where was Tiafoe when Musetti was winning Olympic medals? Oh yeah, playing 250s and losing to 'clowns'."
Frances Tiafoe will face Jiri Lehecka in Cincinnati Open 2024 3R
Frances Tiafoe is set to face Jiri Lehecka in the third round of the 2024 Cincinnati Open on Friday, August 15. The Czech will enter the match with momentum after causing a significant upset by defeating fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in the previous round.
Tiafoe and Lehecka have faced each other only once on the ATP Tour so far. Their encounter took place during the Round of 16 of the 2023 Stuttgart Open, where the former won in straight sets.