"I will be declaring for the 2023 NBA draft" - Frances Tiafoe jokes after spending fun time at NBA headquarters in New York City
As the break from tennis continues for Frances Tiafoe during the off-season, the American tennis star has turned his attention towards basketball, another sport he is a big fan of. Tiafoe recently visited the National Basketball Association (NBA) headquarters in New York City, where he met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver and joked that he is now considering adding his name to the 2023 NBA draft.
Tiafoe also spent some quality time with the Brooklyn Nets team, catching up with the likes of Kevin Durant and Delon Wright. The 24-year-old played on tour right up to last week's Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, representing Team USA, and now seems to be enjoying some time off after an intense but successful season.
The American was thrilled with his latest NBA experience and also gave a special shoutout to the Brooklyn Nets for taking good care of him.
"Announcement y’all after meeting with @adamsilvernba. I’ve decided that I wil be declaring for the 2023 NBA draft. Seriously thanks for having me come by the @nba office and checking out the HQ. Nyc is always up for the kid. Big S/O to @brooklynnets for taking care of me. Until next time thanks guys," Frances Tiafoe wrote on Instagram, posting pictures of his time in NYC.
American No. 1 Jessica Pegula shared a hilarious reaction to Tiafoe's post, light-heartedly suggesting that he has forgotten that he is a tennis player.
"I think you forgot you play tennis," Pegula commented on Tiafoe's post.
Fellow WTA star Jennifer Brady reacted to Pegula's comment, suggesting that Tiafoe's basketball skills are indeed impressive.
"But his hoop skills are NBA level," Brady wrote.
Frances Tiafoe was cheered on by basketball stars during his stellar US Open run
Frances Tiafoe's tryst will basketball is not new. During his run to the semifinals at the 2022 US Open earlier this season, the American youngster was cheered on by a few NBA stars, who were seated in his player's box. Washington Wizards star Bradley Beal and Denver Nuggets' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were in attendance for his quarterfinal against Andrey Rublev and his semifinal against Carlos Alcaraz. Alex McLean and Rob Dosier also attended his matches.
Tiafoe himself is a big fan of his home NBA team, the Washington Wizards.
The American player reached two ATP Finals in 2022, in Estoril and Tokyo respectively, but could not cap off his impressive season with a singles title. He ended the season at No. 19 in the ATP rankings, winning 35 of his 60 tour-level singles matches, while also playing a massive role in Team World's maiden Laver Cup title.