‘Shanked a Return’- American Star Frances Tiafoe Reveals First Reaction After Seeing Michelle Obama Cheering for Him at US Open 2022

An American player in the semi-finals of the singles of the US Open is not a small thing. It garnered a huge and wide amount of audience in the stadium. Frances Tiafoe was high on adrenaline, and so was the audience. Tiafoe saw Michelle Obama in the audience and when he missed a return, his mind got conscious of what she must have thought of him.

Nonetheless, he was grateful for her presence in the audience and later got to meet her as well. Tiafoe has become the new American hope who might bring the US Open title home.

Frances Tiafoe showed his gratitude for the presence of Michelle Obama at his match

The American player reached the semi-finals after overcoming a tough draw. He did not let himself get fazed amidst the pressure and ended up defeating top-tier players. In the semi-finals, many celebrities had come to watch Tiafoe play. One amongst them was Michelle Obama, which delighted Tiafoe.

He said, “Seeing her there was crazy. Obviously, there was a lot of who’s who in there tonight. Obviously, we all know what she means.”

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He summed up his excitement by saying, “Crazy. Seen her before, but it’s a little bit different circumstance. She sees me and she’s actually excited to see me.” 

Tiafoe gets to meet Michelle Obama

Apart from that, the player got to meet the former first lady, which enthralled him. However, he also shared a funny anecdote. He seemed a bit embarrassed about it and said, “I seen her at like 2-1 in the first, kind of turned my head right. I seen her.”

When Tiafoe missed a return during a match, the first thought of the player was, “I think I shanked a return. (I thought) ‘Yeah, she thinks I’m a bum, can’t make a return’.”

READ MORE: Former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama Spotted Cheering for Frances Tiafoe During His Semifinal Match Against Carlos Alcaraz at the US Open

Nonetheless, Tiafoe put up a good fight against the Spanish player, Carlos Alcaraz Garfia. However, he turned out to be a bit stronger than the American player. Now, Alcaraz will face Norwegian player Casper Ruud in the finals.

Despite the results, Americans are all in support of Frances Tiafoe. Tennis legend Chris Evert too hailed his efforts and believes in his capabilities of bringing the US Open title home.