"Still ain't really sunk in" - Frances Tiafoe reacts to Washington Wizards trading Bradley Beal to Phoenix Suns in NBA Draft
Frances Tiafoe has reacted to the recent trade of Bradley Beal from his beloved NBA team, the Washington Wizards. Beal has been traded to the Phoenix Suns prior to the NBA Draft.
The trade, which will see him team up with superstars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, has caused a stir throughout the NBA and fans alike.
Beal is a superstar himsel, having made the NBA All-Star game three times. He averaged over 30 points in a season twice, placing him among an elite group of nine players in the league to have accomplished this feat in the last five seasons.
In recognition of his outstanding performance, Bradley Beal was awarded All-NBA Third Team honors in the 2020-21 season, during which he averaged a career-best 31.3 points. He also became one of only 12 players in NBA history to record consecutive seasons with 30-plus points per game.
In the most recent season, he averaged 23.2 points over 50 games for the Wizards while shooting a career-high 50.6% from the field.
On Saturday, June 24, Frances Tiafoe took to social media to express his sadness regarding Bradley Beal's trade from the Washington Wizards to the Phoenix Suns. Tiafoe wrote that the news hasn't fully sunk in yet and that he will miss the Washington legend both on and off the court.
"Still ain't really sunk in. Gon miss you bro dc legend on and off the floor. Thank you killa. Imma need that suns number 3 just sayin @bradbeal3," Tiafoe captioned his Instagram story.
Frances Tiafoe becomes first African American to enter ATP top 10 in over 14 years
Frances Tiafoe's victory at the 2023 Boss Open in Stuttgart catapulted him to the top 10 in the ATP rankings for the first time in his career.
Tiafoe defeated home favorite Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6, 7-6 (1), 7-6 (8) in Stuttgart in two hour and 10 minutes and secured his third career title.
The American entered the tournament ranked World No. 12 and went on to secure his first-ever grass title, which was also his second title of the season. Tiafoe defeated Jiri Lehecka, Lorenzo Musetti, Marton Fucsovics, and Jan-Lennard Struff en route to his title win.
The title run at the Boss Open landed him in the No. 10 spot.
It has been a little over 14 years (5,200 days) since an African American man has held a spot in the ATP top 10 rankings. The last time this was achieved was in 2009, when James Blake secured the No. 10 position.
Tiafoe reacted to the stat on social media, tweeting:
"Sheesh."
🏾
It is worth noting that Taylor Fritz currently holds the title of World No. 8, marking the first instance in 11 years where two American men have secured positions in the top 10.