Frances Tiafoe was in for an unexpected surprise following his victory at the Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship in Houston this past Sunday. His girlfriend, Canadian professional tennis star Ayan Broomfield, was in attendance to witness his win against Tomas Martin Etcheverry. Tiafoe beat Etcheverry without dropping a set in a close 7-6(1) 7-6(6) match, securing his second career ATP title.
During his victory speech, Tiafoe thanked his coaching team and fans before turning his attention to Broomfield.
“I also want to thank…my girlfriend Ayan, who I see in the crowd at 1-0,” he said.
"I see my girlfriend in the crowd and I was like, 'I didn't even know you were in Houston. I thought you were in LA!'" 😆@FTiafoe #USClay pic.twitter.com/Vjpwqxuce7
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 10, 2023
The 25-year-old also took to social media to express his gratitude in a wholesome post to his Instagram story:
“Love this girl sooo damn much. You flew in for the final without me knowing. You didn’t want to miss the moment. Soo thankful for my baby my road dawg for real,” he wrote.
Tiafoe’s win secured his place as the World No. 11 career-high, despite withdrawing from the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he was scheduled to face Jiri Lehecka in his opening match. The tennis star is expected to compete in the ATP 500 Barcelona Open and Madrid at the Mutua Madrid Open later this month.
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We have witnessed the brutal rise of Tiafoe following his performance at last year’s U.S. Open. The American athlete has achieved a 19-5 record, conquering two titles this year in Australia and Houston. As fans have gotten to know the ATP star, they’ve also gotten to know his girlfriend. Since making their relationship public in 2018, the couple has celebrated almost six years together.
Broomfield doesn’t fall far behind in her stardom as an athlete. Since emerging in the professional tennis realm, she has a career-high singles ranking of No. 680, a doubles ranking of No. 467 and is the victor of two doubles titles on the ITF circuit.
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Broomfield also responded on social media to a clip of her boyfriend’s speech, telling fans it was vital for her to support him in person.
“Had to show up for him,” she tweeted.
Along with this straight-set victory at the start of the clay-court season, the sweet shout-out is a wholesome reminder of this adorable couple’s relationship in the limelight. As it did for Tiafoe, seeing Broomfield in the crowd in Houston made our day.
