Frances Tiafoe met with abuse on social media after beating Roger Federer at Laver Cup
Playing in his final professional tournament at the 2022 Laver Cup, Roger Federer succumbed to a tight three-set defeat in the opening doubles rubber. The Swiss legend and his partner — longtime on-court rival — Rafael Nadal lost to Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock 4-6, 7-6(2), 11-9.
The topsy-turvy affair saw some incredible shotmaking from both teams throughout the contest. The Federer-Nadal duo, however, fell just short of a memorable win in the super tiebreaker.
While the crowd at the O2 Arena was thrilled with the display on Center Court, some fans online were less impressed with Tiafoe's on-court demeanor during the contest. Shortly after the win, the American was met with abuse on his Instagram post — with multiple users criticizing him for beating Federer in his final professional tournament.
This shit sucks so much, people harrassijg tiafoe for not laying on the ground and dying instead of playing. Stupid, tonight was more about celebration than the result, Roger said it himself and I guarantee he won’t think about it tomorrow (or is even thinking about it now) https://t.co/wcnXG83L2R
Fans were particularly unhappy with some of Tiafoe's shot selection on the court. Notably, a couple of the American's volleys were directed at his opponents — and in one instance, the ball hit Federer's shoulder while brushing past Nadal.
The American's post was flooded with comments criticizing him for hitting Federer, with fans calling him names. While one fan went on to call him a "moron" for choosing to go after the player standing across the net from him, others described him as "the worst" and called him out for "bringing shame to the sport of tennis."
Some fans simply took offense to him beating the 20-time Grand Slam champion in his final professional match, questioning his motivation. One such fan claimed that they did not remember Tiafoe and Sock playing with the same level of intensity at the US Open, while another said that the American just wanted to "spoil" Federer's farewell.
Roger Federer gets emotional after his last professional match at Laver Cup
Roger Federer was visibly emotional after losing the doubles rubber to Frances Taifoe and Jack Sock. The Swiss legend was seen sobbing on the players' bench soon after the contest amid a sea of support.
Teammates, including close friend Nadal, were also seen getting emotional after the contest. Fellow members of the 'Big 4' Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Team Europe caption Björn Borg led the applause.
While the round-robin contests for the fifth edition of the Laver Cup will continue until September 25, Federer is not scheduled to play in the tournament again. He will be replaced by Matteo Berrettini.
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