Frances Tiafoe reveals hilarious reason behind Roger Federer shout-out during Laver Cup Day 2: "He jokes around all the time"
Frances Tiafoe explained his shout-out to Roger Federer after defeating Daniil Medvedev at the 2024 Laver Cup on Saturday, September 21. The Swiss' management company, TEAM8, is a co-founder of the event, and he is currently in Berlin, Germany, to attend.
Team World's Tiafoe faced off against Team Europe's Medvedev on Day 2, rallying past the Russian with a score of 3-6, 6-4, 10-5. This marked the American's first career victory over Medvedev and his win was crucial in helping Team World secure an 8-4 lead against their rivals.
Afterwards, Tiafoe told reporters that after losing the first set, he relaxed and began having fun, which he credited as the key to his victory. He also mentioned that by the second set, he started feeling like Federer on the court.
"I just started having fun. Laughing with my team, laughing with my team over there and here. Just having a bit of fun and started really finding my rhythm," the 2024 US Open semifinalist said.
"The courts are obviously much slower than I’m used to playing on, so it’s tough playing Daniil on this court. But after the second set, midway into the second and in the tie-break, I felt like I was Roger Federer, honestly," he added.
Later, during a press conference, Frances Tiafoe revealed the hilarious reason behind bringing up the 20-time Grand Slam champion, saying:
"That was a joke, because I saw him there. He just jokes around with me all the time every time I see him. What a guy he is. So I just had to shout him out. It's his event, too, so I thought it was a nice touch. Yeah, it was a pretty good feeling."
Frances Tiafoe: "I thought I actually was more in a winning position than Daniil Medvedev"
During the same conversation with the media, Frances Tiafoe discussed his win over Daniil Medvedev on Day 2 of the 2024 Laver Cup. He mentioned that despite losing the first set, he felt he was in a better position to win it than his opponent.
"I thought I actually was more in a winning position than he was actually in the first set. It sounds crazy, I got broken twice, but, you know, I definitely had some looks and some loose volleys that I missed there," Tiafoe said.
The World No. 16 then began breaking down the areas he improved and the strategies he adjusted to gain the upper hand.
"I started being a little more clinical from the back of the court, playing more aggressive, sticking more of the volleys and not being loose on the volleys and making stupid mistakes, because I am good up there," he said.
"That's kind of just a little adjustment I made. Then I kept that momentum going, the crowd got going," he added.