Serena Williams reacts to Frances Tiafoe sporting her GOAT hoodie ahead of 2022 US Open SF against Carlos Alcaraz
Similar to the rest of his matches at the 2022 US Open, Frances Tiafoe sported a Serena Williams-hoodie as he walked out at the Arthur Ashe Stadium for his semifinal encounter against Carlos Alcaraz on Friday night.
While the special piece of clothing has all of Williams' 39 Grand Slam titles and the years when she won them mentioned on the back, the front side reads 'GOAT' (Greatest Of All Time).
The 40-year-old legend, who recently hung up her racquet after losing in the third round of the 2022 US Open, took to social media to share a photograph of the 22nd-seeded player. Along with Tiafoe, Williams tagged 'S by Serena', her clothing brand, in the image.
On numerous occasions, Tiafoe has praised the 23-time Grand Slam champion and credited her for inspiring him to take up the sport when he was a kid. After he beat Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, Tiafoe once again hailed Williams, putting her in the same league as Michael Jordan and Tiger woods.
"Yeah, obviously the GOAT, Serena Williams," Tiafoe said. "She's definitely the reason why I think I can do the things that I'm doing. Like when I'm younger, the reason I said to my dad that I can be a professional tennis player is seeing her and Venus battle each other.
"Two people who look like me and I can go and do that, it's unbelievable. She changed the game forever. As I said earlier, when you say her name, you say Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and Michael Jordan. She's on a different stratosphere."
: @ESPN)"Obviously the goat, #SerenaWilliams. She's definitely the reason why I think I can do the things I'm doing. ... She's on a different stratosphere."
–– Frances Tiafoe (@FTiafoe) pays homage to @serenawilliams 🐐❤️
(🎥: @ESPN)
https://t.co/KHVTfqKGrO
Tiafoe was the only American player, male or female, to reach the semifinals of the 2022 US Open. Although he lost to Alcaraz in a five-set thriller on Friday night, the 24-year-old made sure to leave a lasting impression on the tennis world with a successful campaign.
"I'm capable of winning Grand Slams" - Frances Tiafoe
In a post-match press conference after his semifinal clash, Frances Tiafoe weighed in on his performance in the tournament, saying that he was ready to take on any player in the world, regardless of their rankings.
"I just proved that honestly, I can play with the best, and that I'm capable of winning Grand Slams," Frances Tiafoe said. "I think everyone knew when I play my best what I could do. But you know how close I can actually be to be one of those guys and to do this consistently. Ready to take the next step. I think rankings right now are honestly just a number. I feel like I can win any match."
#USOpenFrances Tiafoe gets a standing ovation after congratulating Carlos Alcaraz on the win 👏 #USOpen https://t.co/WhdXs2q3YM