From the moment Frances Tiafoe stepped onto the court at this year’s Citi DC Open, something felt different. The crowd’s roar, the familiar faces in the stands, and the sense of community created an atmosphere unlike any other stop on tour.
With D.C. showing out for its own, every point Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, and Hailey Baptiste played seemed to mean a little more. With the local favorite preparing for an all-American quarterfinal Friday night, fans are buzzing about what might unfold under the lights.
Why Does Frances Tiafoe Say D.C. Is Special for Black Tennis Players?
A reporter brought up Baptiste’s remarks during her press conference, where she said, “D.C. is probably one of the Blackest stops on tour.” Frances Tiafoe, 27, laughed and replied, “I love her, man.”
The reporter followed up by asking Tiafoe if he agreed. He quickly pointed out the stadium’s energy, replying, “Have you seen the stands? Incredible, man. It definitely is, man.”
“Look, obviously Venus packs it to the rafters, man. So many people of color in the stands, it’s awesome. Chocolate City for a reason. Diversity is insane. I love being here,” Tiafoe added.
Tiafoe continued showing love for the Washington fans by saying: “You don’t have your average tennis fan here, especially watching me or her or Ben, Taylor, obviously V [Venus Williams]. So it’s fun, it’s fun. Tennis etiquette.”
Tiafoe also pointed out Aleksandar Kovacevic’s frustration from their opening match, describing, “You saw Kovacevic getting super pissed, and a lot of times Black people not knowing what the hell tennis is. Not moving, not doing anything.”
Wrapping up, Tiafoe said, “Just funny. Unbelievable. He’s getting frustrated. It was funny, because, this is kind of what we need. But I get it. I get it, for sure.”
I asked Frances Tiafoe after his opening win at the #MubadalaCitiDCOpen last night if he agreed that D.C. is one of the blackest stops on the tennis calendar.
Safe to say that he does 🤎🎾 pic.twitter.com/pavTQdYPXI
— Myles David (@TunedIntoTennis) July 24, 2025
How Are Tiafoe, Ben Shelton, Hailey Baptiste, and Venus Williams Winning Over D.C. Fans?
Tiafoe started his run at the tournament with a hard-fought win over Kovacevic, taking the match 7-5, 3-6, 6-3. Even after dropping the second set, he won 87% of his first-serve points. Building on that momentum, he knocked out last year’s runner-up, Flavio Cobolli, 6-1, 6-4, sending him to the quarterfinals for the fourth straight year in Washington.
Shelton, meanwhile, has been sharp all week. The current world No. 8 beat Mackenzie McDonald 6-3, 6-4, then dispatched Gabriel Diallo 6-3, 6-2. Serving up 16 aces in the latest match and still not having faced a break point, Shelton set the stage for a highly anticipated showdown with Tiafoe on Friday.
Looking at Baptiste, she lost a close singles match to Sofia Kenin, 6-3, 7-6(4), but bounced back in doubles. Teaming up with Venus Williams, Baptiste helped earn a win over Eugenie Bouchard and Clervie Ngounoue, 6-3, 6-1. Williams and Baptiste pushed the second-seeded pair of Taylor Townsend and Zhang Shuai in the next round, but ultimately fell 6-4, 3-6, 10-6 in a close contest.
