Frances Tiafoe’s gesture towards AJ Dybantsa and his family after US Open win
US Open quarterfinalist Frances Tiafoe shouted out 2026 NBA Draft No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa with his celebration after defeating Daniil Medvedev.
Tiafoe picked up a surprise 7-6 (1), 6-4, 7-6 (6) win over Medvedev, advancing to the quarterfinals for a matchup against Alex Michelsen as he tries to make a miracle run to the final on home soil.
Tiafoe had a lot of supporters attending this game, including Dybantsa, his dad Ace, and WNBA legend Lisa Leslie.
Frances Tiafoe recognised the basketball stars attending the US Open
After Tiafoe had secured the win, he pointed at the Dybantsas and Leslie and mimicked a jump shot in recognition of his win and their presence during it.
Tiafoe also completed his media commitments in front of where Dybantsa was sitting, with the pair having a visible conversation where Dybantsa congratulated him on the result
Tiafoe is currently ranked No. 12 in the world and is the 11th seed in the tournament. Medvedev came into the clash with a higher ranking (No. 7) and a 1-6 record against Tiafoe in past matches.
The upset win has now set him up against an unseeded gem in Michelsen, who is yet to lose a set in the tournament.
The winner of the Tiafoe-Michelsen quarterfinal will face either Carlos Alcaraz or Ben Shelton in the semi-final of the US Open.
Tiafoe has never made it past the semi-final at this tournament, reaching that stage in 2022 and 2024.
Frances Tiafoe and AJ Dybantsa have already built a strong bond
The Dybantsas were sitting in Tiafoe’s family box after the tennis star built up a bond with the rookie over the summer.
Tiafoe is a Washington Wizards superfan and made it clear he wanted to see the franchise draft Dybantsa after they received the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Dybantsa celebrated Tiafoe’s 2025 Australian Open win while still playing college basketball, but that support became in-person at the 2026 French Open.
Dybantsa’s teammate Alex Sarr was also at the game, but it’s unclear if he and Dybantsa met up.
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