Frances Tiafoe earned a spot in the US Openquarterfinals for the third consecutive year on Sunday, Sept. 1, with his four-set win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrin.
But while the tennis star had plenty to celebrate, he couldn’t leave the court without giving a special shout-out to a member of the crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium — actor Tony Goldwyn.
US Open Tennis filmed the moment while Chris Eubanks interviewed Tiafoe moments after his victory. But before Eubanks could wrap up the chat, Tiafoe grabbed the mic.
“Hold on, hold on. Sorry, sorry,” Tiafoe, 26, said in the clip, which was shared on social media. “Tony Goldwyn was in the crowd. Yo, I’m a huge fan of you, bro.”
“Me and my girl used to watch Scandal all the time,” said Tiafoe, who has been dating former Div. I tennis champ Ayan Broomfield since 2015. “I’m a huge fan, brother. I’m a huge fan, bro. I gotta say that!”
A live shot of Goldwyn was then shown on the big screen, the actor, 64, sending cheers back to Tiafoe.
Little did Tiafoe know, Goldwyn wasn’t the only Scandal star at the Open.
Fellow actor Scott Foley (Jake Ballard) and Scandal creator Shonda Rhimes were both there as well, while Bellamy Young — who played first lady Mellie Grant, opposite Goldwyn’s President Fitzgerald Grant — was seen behind Goldwyn in the same box watching Taifoe.
Missing was Olivia Pope herself Kerry Washington, though the actress just reunited with Goldwyn last month at the Democratic National Convention.
Frances Tiafoe at the US Open on Sept. 1.
Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty
As for Tiafoe, he’ll next face Grigor Dimitrov on Tuesday, Sept. 3 for a spot in the semifinals. Tiafoe is the No. 20 seed, while Dimitrov is the No. 9.
“Everything is happening when it’s meant to happen,” Tiafoe said on Sunday, according to the Associated Press. “I’m glad it’s happening now because this is the most important time for me.”
The semifinals have been historically tough for Tiafoe. In 2022, he lost that round to Carlos Alcaraz, who went on to be the eventual champion. Last year, Tiafoe was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Ben Shelton.
Even so, his triumph on Sunday earned him a spot in the record books as the first American man to reach three consecutive US Open quarterfinals since Andy Roddick, who achieved the honor between 2006-2008. The only other American men to achieve that feet since 2000 have been Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
Frances Tiafoe celebrates after scoring a point against Australia’s Alexei Popyrin at the US Open on Sept. 1.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty
Last month, Tiafoe opened up to PEOPLE about his dreams of playing on the court of New York’s largest tennis tournament.
“As a kid, watching Serena and Venus [Williams] lift trophies here, I always wanted to just play on this court and do something special,” Tiafoe said. “So I think it always brings out the best in me,”
He added that he loves playing “in rowdy atmospheres” and the US Open is especially exciting because “everyone is super amped up and wants to see an American finish the job.”
“We don’t get to play in America so much and one of the best cities in the world in New York for that matter,” said Tiafoe. “So I don’t take it for granted.”
