CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tennis player Frances Tiafoe showcased his support for the Charlotte Hornets by wearing one of their jerseys while competing against Carlos Alcaraz in an exhibition event. Just a day later, he was back at the Spectrum Center to cheer on the Hornets as they faced off against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. During the game, Tiafoe entertained the crowd by tossing souvenir tennis balls into the stands and later got the chance to visit the Cavaliers’ locker room after they secured a 116-102 victory over the Hornets.
Expressing his enthusiasm for basketball, Tiafoe stated, “I’m a big NBA fan and I know and like a lot of the guys in the league,” especially after collecting signed jerseys from Cleveland players Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Garland mentioned that he and Tiafoe first met during New York Fashion Week in February, and they hit it off instantly. He recalled inviting Tiafoe to watch the game after attending the exhibition match the previous evening.
“Knowing someone from another sport like him is pretty cool,” Garland remarked. The former New York fashion event also led to Garland getting a signed tennis ball from Tiafoe’s exhibition, quipping that the exchange of memorabilia was a good trade-off, even if he received a signed tennis ball instead of a jersey. Tiafoe, a native of Hyattsville, Maryland, reminisced about being a loyal Washington Wizards fan, citing former guard John Wall as his all-time favorite player. During the U.S. Open semifinals in 2006, former Wizards star Bradley Beal showed his support from the stands as Tiafoe made his mark.
“I’m still a Wizards fan and an NBA fan,” said the 26-year-old Tiafoe, who relishes the opportunity to attend games whenever possible. Hornets head coach Charles Lee expressed excitement about Tiafoe’s presence at the team’s practice the day before. He believed it to be beneficial for his players, as they had the chance to interact with someone highly accomplished in their own sport. “Having him at practice yesterday was very cool. What he’s been able to achieve at a young age on the tennis circuit is admirable,” Lee stated.
In that exhibition match against Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion from Spain, Tiafoe donned a replica of Hornets guard Brandon Miller’s jersey and narrowly secured victory with a score of 5-7, 6-1, 11-9. The event attracted an impressive crowd of 16,194 tennis fans only hours before the NBA game, which brought in 18,832 spectators.
Among those who watched the tennis match were several Hornets players, including Miller, LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, Mark Williams, Josh Green, Vasa Micic, and Taj Gibson, alongside Cavaliers players Garland, Ty Jerome, and Georges Niang. During the first quarter of the NBA game, the Hornets took a moment to introduce Tiafoe to the audience. “It’s been an amazing experience here in Charlotte,” he expressed to the crowd.
