Frances Tiafoe has expressed his sadness at the news of two-time WNBA champion Alysha Clark leaving the Washington Mystics. After two seasons in DC, Clarke will be joining the Las Vegas Aces and teaming up with coach Becky Hammon.
Born in Maryland, the American is a huge supporter of the Washington teams in both the NBA and the WNBA. He is frequently seen courtside at Washington Wizards games and has even started getting on the court for some cross-training.
The World No. 15 shared the Mystics' post thanking Alysha for all her contributions to his social media and expressed his sadness at the move. Tiafoe did, however, wish her the best and expressed his love for her skills.
"Damn hate to see my dawg out of dc. but all the best going forward og. All love sis," he wrote on Instagram.
Frances Tiafoe and the exciting future of American men's tennis
Starting the new season with a bang, Team USA beat Team Italy in the final of the 2023 United Cup to clinch the title.
With Frances Tiafoe, Jessica Pegula, Taylor Fritz and Madison Keys leading the way, Team USA created history by winning the inaugural edition of the tournament. The enormity of the occasion wasn't lost on the players as they celebrated their triumph on social media.
The Australian Open brought with it further unprecedented success for American players, beginning with Mackenzie McDonald knocking Rafael Nadal, the number 1 seed and defending champion, out of the tournament in the second round. Despite Fritz exiting the tournament in the second round, a record eight American players made the final 32 in the tournament.
Tiafoe and other American players shared their support for the likes of Ben Shelton, Tommy Paul and Sebastian Korda, who made the quarterfinals of the tournament. Paul became the first American to reach the semifinals of the tournament since Andy Roddick in 2009.
Despite being knocked out of the tournament in the third round by Karen Khachanov, Tiafoe rose to a career-high ranking of World No. 15. While the 25-year-old expressed his disappointment at leaving the competition earlier than expected, he maintained a positive attitude about it and stated that it would fuel him to do better when he returns to Melbourne Park next year.