A glimpse of Novak Djokovic given by Frances Tiafoe as he reacts to Serbs' 'bad rapping'

Frances Tiafoe has given insight into her off-court relationship with Novak Djokovic as he defended the world No.7 from a 'bad shot'. The American suffered a straight-set loss to world No. 7 at the Laver Cup on Saturday but didn't say anything bad about his opponent.

Djokovic played his first match in more than two months against Tiafoe at the Laver Cup, earning two vital points for the European side with a 6-1 6-3 victory. The 21-time Grand Slam champion looked as solid as ever as he competed for the first time since winning a seventh Wimbledon crown in July.

After the match, Tiafoe was asked how the 35-year-old looked off the pitch, as the world number 19 assessed Djokovic's performance in his first match since Wimbledon and claimed his opponent was still "better" than him. at the All England Club. "I mean, I know Novak is a super cool guy," he said, drawing his attention to the Serbian's off-court traits.

“I like the guy a lot. We clown around all the time. He’s actually really funny. "Yeah, like because I obviously have a great sense of humor and say things off the cuff. He likes it too. A super nice guy."

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And the 24-year-old also praised the former world No. 1 for his legacy in his home country, adding: "What he does for Serbia and Serbian tennis, obviously everyone in this country, he's a real guy."

Tiafoe then spoke about Djokovic's reputation, as he defended the 35-year-old against criticism. "I think he sometimes gets a bad reputation," the American explained. “I think he's actually like a really, really nice guy and obviously a legend. I have a ton of respect for him."

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But the World Team player took a stab at the Serb, joking: "I wish he wasn't so locked up today, but other than that I probably like him a little less right now, but other than that, he's very cool.”

Tiafoe was still gracious in defeat, adding, "Yeah, you just tip your hat to a guy like that, who plays so well. No apologies from my side. He was just too good. A few things I could do a little better, but we still saw greatness today."