Frances Tiafoe’s eyes widened in awe as he witnesses Hailey Baptiste’s BJK Cup breakthrough for Team USA
Frances Tiafoe reacted to Hailey Baptiste's commendable performance at the BJK Cup. The American ATP star shared a short video of his compatriot's singles performance while applauding her commendable rise. He also indirectly praised her coaching team for honing the exceptional skills she showcased for Team USA's rise.
Team USA emerged victorious in the Group C qualifying round of the BJK Cup qualifiers. During the close-knit competition against Slovakia, Hailey Baptiste and Bernarda Pera showcased commendable dominance to help the USA finish 2-1. The 23-year-old secured an astonishing win over Slovakia's Renata Jamrichova with a final scoreline of 6-3, 6-4.
Billie Jean King Cup's official Instagram account shared a short clip of the showdown between Baptiste and Jamrichova. The social media channel announced her performance as the best of the day.
"Set point ✅️, sit down ✅️! Hailey Baptiste's classy volley is the @gainbridgesport Play of the Day 😮💨," the caption said.
Tiafoe proudly shared the video on his Instagram story. Applauding the 23-year-old's exceptional performance at the team event, he wrote:
"Wonder where you learned this from! good work @haileybaptiste."
This victory came after Baptiste's second-round exit against compatriot Emma Navarro at the Charleston Open. After the efforts of her and Pera, Team USA will now compete against Italy, China, Spain, and others for the BJK Cup Finals in September.
Frances Tiafoe unveils the reason behind his respect for Taylor Swift
Frances Tiafoe opened up about his memorable meeting with Taylor Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce at an NFL game. Despite admitting that he was not a die-hard fan of the globally renowned artist, Tiafoe explained how her aura and achievements deserve respect.
Narrating how he unexpectedly bumped into Swift, Tiafoe told TennisTV:
"We go into this suite, and the first person we see in this suite is Taylor. I'm like, 'Try to act like you've been here before...I appreciate greatness so much and seeing how cool she was, she got my ultimate respect."
Tiafoe was also surprised to know that both Swift and Travis Kelce paid a visit to Arthur Ashe Stadium to witness his showdown in September 2024.
Preparing for the clay court season, Frances Tiafoe will next compete against Jaume Munar at the ongoing Barcelona Open. The showdown is scheduled to commence on April 15.