World No. 18 Frances Tiafoe recently rubbed shoulders with Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas at the 2025 Dallas Open. The duo were spotted posing for the shutterbugs at the Ford Center Arena in Frisco, Texas.
Tiafoe entered Dallas on the back of a second-round exit in Melbourne. Despite a valiant effort against Fabian Marozsan, the Hungarian outlasted Tiafoe in a close five-set bout, 6-7(3), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.
The American is among the top five seeds in Dallas this year and was elated to connect with Olympic athlete Gabby Douglas during the pre-tournament festivities at the event. The two were pictured together in a post shared by the ATP tour's official Instagram handle on February 4.
Gabby Douglas is known for her remarkable achievements as a gymnast. She became the first African American woman to win gold in both individual all-around and team competitions in the 2012 London Olympics.
Tiafoe is also known to support fellow American athletes from different sporting backgrounds. Apart from gymnasts, he's interacted with NBA players such as Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry.
The former World No. 10 also connected with football sensation Vini Jr in 2023, as the duo were seen taking some time off to celebrate Real Madrid's win in Club Friendlies at the Rose Bowl Stadium in California.
Frances Tiafoe had a modest season last year, amassing 33 wins from 60 matches, including runner-up finishes in Cincinnati and Houston. He also reached the semifinal of the US Open, where he lost to compatriot Taylor Fritz in five sets.
Frances Tiafoe to take on either Brandon Nakashima or Yoshihito Nishioka in R2 of 2025 Dallas Open
Frances Tiafoe is making his third appearance at the Dallas Open this year. He reached the quarterfinals in 2023 and 2024, where he lost to Marcos Giron in straight sets.
Tiafoe will face the winner between Brandon Nakashima and Yoshihito Nishioka in the second round. He started his campaign with a hard-fought 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Taro Daniel on Tuesday.
Tiafoe dominates the head-to-head against Nakashima 4-1 and leads against Nishioka 3-1. However, both players defeated Tiafoe last year, Nakashima in the 2024 Japan Open, and Nishioka in the 2024 Atlanta Open.
Frances Tiafoe is currently ranked among the top 20 players in the world at No. 18. If he manages to make a deep run in the Dallas Open, he could edge past his near rivals Jack Draper and Lorenzo Musetti.
The 27-year-old is one of the favorites at the event but will face tough competition from the likes of Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton. If he reaches the final, Tiafoe is very likely to face top-seeded Fritz.