Top seed Iga Swiatek received a morale boost ahead of her fourth-round clash with Liudmila Samsonova at the US Open on Monday, as Jason Sudeikis, the lead actor of her favorite TV show 'Ted Lasso', was spotted in the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The annual influx of celebrities is in full effect at this year's final major, with regulars like Vogue editor Anna Wintour and actor Ben Stiller making appearances. Swiatek was delighted to see Sudeikis during her 6-4, 6-1 victory.
'I actually tried to avoid looking at the screens, but I saw him tonight when I was looking at the chair umpire,' Swiatek said, adding that she values the show's message of 'positivity.' 'I wanted to stay focused and I hope he appreciates my mentality because this is what 'Ted Lasso' is all about.' This marked the second instance where the world number one felt starstruck at Flushing Meadows. She also had a conversation with 23-time major winner Serena Williams, who made a return to the tournament two years after her last match at Arthur Ashe.
'It was nice that she approached me, because I wouldn't, for sure, find the courage to do that if it was the other way,' Swiatek noted. Not all players are as shy, though. Following his fourth-round win over Alexei Popyrin, American Frances Tiafoe grabbed the microphone from the on-court interviewer to address Tony Goldwyn, a star from the TV show 'Scandal', who was in the audience. 'I'm a huge fan of you, bro,' Tiafoe said, pointing towards Goldwyn. 'Me and my girl used to watch 'Scandal' all the time.'
