As much as AJ Dybantsa shines as the No. 1 recruit, the young basketball phenom never misses a chance to appreciate others he admires. This time, he’s cheering for tennis star Frances Tiafoe. Rightly so, with what the tennis star just pulled off. Fighting through heat, illness, and an a particularly challenging match, Tiafoe secured a win at the Australian Open. 

Dybantsa, like many of us, couldn’t help but admire the grit, re-sharing the Australian Open’s post on Instagram with a simple but powerful word “dub!” That’s slang for “win.” This came after the tennis star gave us one of those unforgettable moments in sports. 

The American tennis favorite took on France’s Arthur Rinderknech in a grueling first-round match. It was supposed to be a straightforward win after Tiafoe went up two sets, but the match turned into a nail-biter when things went sideways.

Leading 5-2 in the fourth set, Tiafoe couldn’t close it out. The heat was unbearable, with temperatures soaring to 26°C and humidity at 63%. Then, to make matters worse, his body gave out—vomiting mid-match, battling cramps, and still refusing to quit.

“Loose game there, 5-3. Brought it back to deuce and wasn’t able to convert. Obviously tired but feeling fine. Then, get the line and puke. I have some ab cramps during that; then I’m cramping all over the place,” Tiafoe told ESPN’s, Rennae Stubbs. “Any other tournament, I would have pulled out, but it’s a Slam. These are the tournaments I care about the most. Whatever it takes.”

And “whatever it takes,” it was. Tiafoe leaned on quick points, serving and volleying, breaking Rinderknech’s serve twice in the final set to clinch the victory. 7-6 (2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-3. 

While Dybantsa’s IG story for Tiafoe celebrated the tennis star’s hard-earned win, it also reminded us of how much he respects someone else’s game, be it an athlete from another game, his fellow hooper, or his rival. 

AJ Dybantsa’s shout-out to a rival

Cooper Flagg and THE BYU commit have been dubbed generational talents, and fans couldn’t stop talking about a potential rivalry. But Dybantsa’s actions say otherwise. Over the weekend, Duke’s freshman sensation Flagg dropped a record-breaking 42 points against Notre Dame. 

Not only did he surpass the legendary Zion Williamson’s freshman scoring record, but he also set a new ACC benchmark. And what did Dybantsa do? He reposted Flagg’s highlights with the caption, “Ahh, both dropped 40 piece,” tagging Flagg’s handle. Why “both,” though? 

Well, while Flagg was lighting it up in Durham, Dybantsa was dropping jaws at the Iverson Classic in New Jersey, scoring 31 points in one game and following it up with a 41-point explosion in another. Hence, despite the hype surrounding their supposed rivalry, he showed us something refreshing. While their paths may eventually lead them to face off in the pros, for now, it’s all about pushing each other to new heights.