Frances Tiafoe Faces Backlash for Bringing Up Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Mentality After Defeating Ben Shelton

Frances Tiafoe pulled off an impressive comeback victory against Ben Shelton at the US Open, rallying from 1-2 down to secure his place in the Round of 16. Despite his undeniable talent and resilience on the court, Tiafoe isn’t widely considered the fan favorite among American men at the tournament. And he didn’t help himself with his recent comments on the match, which involved him referring to late basketball legend, Kobe Bryant.

After his thrilling win, Tiafoe spoke about a conversation he had with fellow American Chris Eubanks that fueled his comeback against Shelton. In a post-match interview, the ‘Big Foe’ mentioned how Kobe’s famed “Mamba Mentality” played a role in his mindset during the match.

Frances Tiafoe after beating Ben Shelton at US Open

“I was telling Chris Eubanks there were two things that are gonna happen out here. Either I’m gonna die or nothing else.”

Mamba Mentality.

(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/YeLjy2Fkoj

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 30, 2024

Kobe Bryant’s “Mamba Mentality” is more than just a catchphrase. It’s a philosophy rooted in relentless dedication, discipline, and the pursuit of greatness. It’s about putting in the work, day in and day out and striving to be the best version of oneself.

For Tiafoe to casually drop this reference after his win, was a bit over the top and didn’t quite align with the weight of Bryant’s message, according to some X users. The backlash was swift on social media. Many fans called out Tiafoe since they believe that he doesn’t command that kind of aura to pull off such statements.

Despite Tiafoe’s recent win, people are still not a fan of him pic.twitter.com/4BhmipCLKg

— Tennis world (@claygrasshard) August 31, 2024

Tiafoe’s comments on Kobe are interesting, because a few days ago, in another interview, he called himself a huge LeBron James loyalist.

Tiafoe was asked to pick his GOAT from a lineup of legendary athletes, including Lionel Messi, Simone Biles, Michael Phelps, and Kobe Bryant. The American tennis player picked LeBron even over Kobe, let alone Michael Jordan.

In fact, Tiafoe also tried to mimic LeBron’s iconic celebration on court before the US Open.

 

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As Tiafoe continues his run at the US Open, all eyes will be on whether he can back up his words with another strong performance. He will take on the reigning Canadian Open champion and Australian youngster, Alexei Popyrin who would have momentum on his side after defeating defending champion Novak Djokovic in the third round.