"Steffi Graf, she was insane" - Frances Tiafoe picks German as his dream doubles partner, revisits 'crazy' partnerships with Venus and Serena Williams
Frances Tiafoe has chosen Steffi Graf as his dream doubles partner, while also reminiscing about teaming up with Venus and Serena Williams.
Tiafoe recently made an appearance on Nick Kyrgios' podcast, Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios, and candidly discussed several topics, including his childhood struggles, his father Constant's support and his devastating loss to Carlos Alcaraz in the semifinals of the 2022 US Open.
During the podcast, Kyrgios also questioned the American about his dream doubles partner, asking him to pick a men's and women's player. In response, Frances Tiafoe fondly revisited his partnerships with both Venus and Serena Williams, describing the experience as "crazy."
The Australian, who has also joined forces with the Williams sisters, chimed in to add that Serena was "crazy bossy" on court, prompting Tiafoe to burst into laughter.
"I played with Williams' which is crazy," Frances Tiafoe said (14:40).
"Me too. Serena is crazy bossy on the court," Kyrgios chimed in.
After regaining his composure, the American shared that it's immensely enjoyable to team up with his compatriots, hailing them as "legends."
"First of all, I'm already nervous but that was really fun. What legends they are," he said.
The World No. 21 also conveyed his wish to have had the opportunity to partner with late tennis icon Arthur Ashe, suggesting that Ashe could have become the President of the United States.
"I mean, dead or alive, Arthur Ashe would've been crazy. That would've been iconic. I mean, this guy could have definitely been president. He was so iconic, that name carries so much weight," he said.
Eventuaally, Frances Tiafoe chose Steffi Graf as his dream doubles partner.
"Let's go, Steffi Graf. I mean, she was insane," he said.
"Old school. Contrasting styles," Kyrgios replied.
Frances Tiafoe chooses LeBron James and Kobe Bryant as his idols outside tennis
During the aforementioned podcast, Frances Tiafoe also shed light on the athletes looked up to, revealing that all his idols were from "outside tennis."
As an avid basketball fan, the American unsurprisingly shared that he was inspired by LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, lauding their ability to transition from being friendly and relaxed with their friends and teammates off the court to being fiercely competitive on it.
"It's all outside tennis. You see (Le)Bron (James), you see Kobe, right? I mean, you know those guys like seeing them; you know, being cool with their teammates, whatever cool with their friends," Tiafoe said (at 2:25).
"But when it was out there, like, you know, me and you were so tight, we joked around right before we got out there, then it’s on," he added.
The 26-year-old also disclosed that these legends motivated him to show his talents to the world
"Same with those guys, especially with the best players in the world. Everyone stepped in, and I wanted to show the world what I could do. Then I just get super excited, and those guys definitely help with it," he said.
Frances Tiafoe is in action at the US Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston, where he's the defending champion. He recently triumphed over Jordan Thompson 7-6(8), 6-4 to reach the semifinals of the ATP 250 event.