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via Reuters

via Reuters

Twenty-five-year-old American tennis star Frances Tiafoe is on cloud nine as we approach the 3rd grand slam of the year. After having won his first grass court title at the Stuttgart Open, he has much-needed momentum heading into Wimbledon, which is slated to begin on the 3rd of July.

Tiafoe has always been a huge basketball fan and his super-positive mood is being reflected on the practice courts, where he has been seen donning his favorite NBA jerseys. And this resulted in a fun-filled online banter between him and fellow ATP ace and friend Denis Shapovalov.

Frances Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov engage in jovial NBA banter

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With hopes of replicating his Stuttgart performance at the All England Club, a confident Frances Tiafoe was seen only displaying his love for basketball during the practice sessions in Wimbledon. The die-hard basketball fan has been spotted wearing jerseys of various NBA teams, including that of NBA superstar Luka Doncic, during his practice sessions at the All England Club.

As a result, a lighthearted banter ensued between Tiafoe and Denis Shapovalov, as the Canadian took a dig at Tiafoe’s ever-changing support for different NBA clubs. “Can?t wait to see what team @FTiafoe chooses to support on Thursday #PickATeam”, he tweeted.

Tiafoe was quick to reply and defend his loyalty to the Washington Wizards, “Hahahaha chill the @WashWizards is in my blood always”.

This raillery continued over to Instagram, when Frances Tiafoe put out an Instagram story reiterating his loyalty for Washington Wizards with a jesting remark, “@denis.shapovalov I’m not afraid to rock every team in the league???. But I’m a @washwizards fan for life #dcornothing”.

READ MORE: ?Imagine Going to a Basketball Game and Not Saying Anything? ? American Star Frances Tiafoe Confesses His Issues With Tennis and Its Serious Lack of Youngsters? Appeal

It is clear that Tiafoe’s first love may be tennis, but basketball definitely does not fall far behind.

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Tiafoe’s love affair with basketball

The young American may be a tennis professional, but he has always made his love and passion known for basketball. His camaraderie with NBA legend LeBron James has been the talk of the town many times in the past. The vibe of the world of tennis is resoundingly similar to that of professional basketball to the 25-year-old. This isn’t the first time Tiafoe has been seen sporting NBA jerseys while on a tennis court. He has often been spotted attending NBA games and has even taken part in 2023’s NBA All-Star Celebrity Game that was held in Salt Lake City.

USA Today via Reuters

His basketball-esque celebrations on the tennis court and undying love for basketball make him a bridge between the two hugely popular sports, which otherwise seem to be poles apart from each other. Frances Tiafoe is indeed a unique mixture of both tennis and basketball cultures!

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