NEW YORK — Taylor Fritz is nowhere close to the most famous Taylor at his own men’s singles final at the U.S. Open.
That’s because Taylor Swift, the pop music star who has spent much of the last year playing concerts and attending football games, turned up at Arthur Ashe Stadium for the last day of the Grand Slam tennis tournament with her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce.
Swift and Kelce walked hand in hand toward the stadium on the grounds of Billie Jean King National Tennis Center as Fritz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner readied for their match. Soon after, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes walked in with his wife, Brittany Mahomes. Swift, Kelce and the Mahomes couple watched the match together, with Swift photographed cuddling Kelce and tightly hugging Brittany Mahomes.
Just a couple of 3x Super Bowl Champions and Taylor Swift 🤩 pic.twitter.com/aPmHiJLAm9
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 8, 2024
The timing is unusually convenient for Kelce and Mahomes, with the tennis match happening on the opening Sunday of the NFL season. Kelce and Mahomes, however, played Thursday in the league’s first game this season, in which the Chiefs narrowly beat the Ravens with Swift in attendance.
It’s not immediately clear whether Swift or Kelce have direct connections to the players, beyond the coincidence of Swift and Fritz sharing a first name. Fritz told social media officials for the Australian Open that he can “appreciate” Swift. But he didn’t exactly jump to label himself a Swiftie. “I think my favorite song would probably be like ‘Our Song,’” he said. “I like Taylor Swift back in like country days a lot.”
It also would not be surprising if Swift and Kelce had planned to attend the tournament regardless of who made the final. The U.S. Open is a magnet for celebrities, with some attending on their own and others turning up as part of promotional appearances for corporate sponsors. Each match, the four large screens in Arthur Ashe Stadium show stars of film, music and other realms seated in luxury boxes or courtside seats.
Henrik Lundqvist, the former Rangers great, drew a strong ovation on Sunday. And on Saturday during Aryna Sabalenka’s win in the women’s final over Jessica Pegula, Flavor Flav chomped on an ice cream bar while Ilana Glazer hammed for the cameras with Tina Fey. Lewis Hamilton chatted with Anna Wintour, Courteney Cox seemed genuinely chuffed by big cheers and Rebel Wilson gave a big grin. There were plenty more, and Pegula even described a moment where her husband met Stephen Curry and told him that his iPhone was named after the Golden State Warriors star.
When Swift and Kelce began dating, she became a big and consistent fixture at his games, including Kansas City’s run to a Super Bowl championship in February. Fans at marveled at who she’s been sitting with, and her friendship with Brittany Mahomes has been endlessly dissected in the tabloids and on social media.
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(Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images)
