- Tennis star Frances Tiafoe is one of the favorites to win the 2023 US Open men's singles title.
- Like many other players, the American sweats a lot during his hours-long battles at tournaments.
NEW YORK — Frances Tiafoe is one of the brightest stars at the 2023 US Open.
He's also one of the sweatiest.
The 25-year-old American earned a straight-set victory at Arthur Ashe Stadium Wednesday night to advance to the third round of his home Grand Slam. He swiftly took down Austria's Sebastian Ofner in a match lasting just one hour and 32 minutes, and the temperature was a not-too-hot 75 degrees.
Even still, Tiafoe revealed that he "easily probably went through six" shirts over the course of the match.
"It's crazy — I mean, you're sweating a lot, obviously," Tiafoe said in his post-match press conference. "You want to be as light as can you on the court. If I'm a little wet, I just change the tee."
"Especially with a tank top, you get sweatier easier than an actual T-shirt," he added.
The Maryland native regularly peels off his sweaty shirt whenever there's a natural break in play. He often can be seen sitting atop his player bench shirtless to cool down mid-match.
The world No. 10 revealed that he usually keeps around 20 spare tops in his bag for each match. He added that he's "blessed to have a sponsorship" with Nike that allows him to come to the court fully prepared for big moments and marathon matches.
The 2022 US Open semifinalist — who catapulted to fame after upsetting 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal under the bright lights — will return to play Friday against France's Adrian Mannarino, who sits at No. 22 in the ATP rankings. While the timing and location of the match remain unclear, one detail is almost certainly accounted for; Tiafoe will have more than his fair share of shirts to cycle through should the need arise.