The tennis phenom Francis Tiafoe It's still awe-inspiring whenever he rubs elbows with Hollywood's biggest names.

“I'm sitting there and I tell whoever I'm with in real time, like, 'I'm taking a shot Taylor Swift,'' Tiafoe, 26, said during the Tuesday, Jan. 7, episode of "The Pivot." podcast. “Admittedly, I … a Beyonce Boy, but at this point, I was like, 'Man, this is crazy.'

Tiafoe and his girlfriend, Ian BroomfieldSwift, 35, attended a Kansas City Chiefs game against the Denver Broncos in November 2024. were also present To please the lover Travis Kelce. After the game, the couple partied and snapped in a private suite A series of now viral social media selfies.

"He's the biggest star here and then, you know, Trav and (Patrick) Mahomes (Being) like, 'Yo, we want to put you in KC.' They say it's wild to me and they roll out the red carpet for me," Tiafoe recalled. “It's crazy because tennis and people want to reach out and hang out and actually do things. These are the things (that) make you what you are."

Tiafoe started playing tennis At the age of 3, he turned professional in 2015 when he turned 17 He won his first ATP title at the 2018 Delray Beach tournament, becoming the youngest American athlete since then. Andy Roddick To bring home the trophy. Despite his accolades and accomplishments on the court, Tiafoe sees his career as something bigger.

"It's who I am and what I represent, like, the people you relate to," he said in the episode "The Pivot". “Like, a lot of people see themselves in you (and) the energy I play with, I have a smile and I'm a regular friend. Man, I'm a dude from Maryland who loves tennis.

Tiafoe explained that he "has many interests beyond just hitting tennis balls."

"You can feel it," he continued. “I am in every room. I'm not trying to dress for someone else and people feel that."

As his career began, Tiafoe realized the extent of his fame when he "beat (Rafael) NadalAt the 2022 US Open tournament.

"I stepped into something different," he added. “I went to the hotel that day, and the hotel was full. Everyone (was) waiting for me … than when I checked-in at the hotel that day, they (were) 'Oh, you're here to watch the US Open?' … It's amazing how things can change like that.”