During the enthralling mixed doubles match at the 2019 Hopman Cup, Frances Tiafoe joined forces with Serena Williams to form an exceptional American duo, pitted against the formidable Swiss pairing of Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic.
Although considered a lower-profile match compared to the regular tournament on the tour, the competitive spirit on the court remained palpable. The encounter saw Federer and Bencic emerge victorious, but the spotlight this time shifted to Williams’ reaction during a break in the match.
Serena’s illustrious record of seven Wimbledon titles, seven Australian Opens, six US Opens, and three Roland Garros titles stands as a testament to her unparalleled achievements. This anecdote recently told by Tiafoe also shows why she was able to have those accolades.
Frances Tiafoe recounts Serena Williams’ encounter with Roger Federer
Tiafoe was a young player eager to absorb knowledge at the time of the mixed doubles match. The lessons he learned from that encounter were invaluable, as it revealed the qualities of a true champion, exemplified by Serena’s passionate statement about Federer. This is what he said in an interview with @UTShowdown featuring Ben Shelton and Christopher Eubanks.
“The best Serena story I got, I’m playing mixed doubles with her, we’re playing Federer and Bencic. Fed is acing her left, right and center and she is aced again. We go sit down and she’s like, ‘I don’t get it, we can’t lose this! He’s not better than me, I got 23 (Grand Slams), he’s got 20’. That’s when I was like, you gotta be different. You have to be, this wasn’t a joke!”, Tiafoe recalled.
