Francis congratulations on to the third round uh how do you process today two very good sets then circumstances on the court for an hour and a half yeah you take those um you know I was really pleased the way I played I mean I you know I thought the first set could have been similar to the second I had a a lot lot of chances there started serving pretty well there and end of the first and all the way through the second so and returned really well today so I I can't complain um you know first smack on Ash and uh and how warm it was today obviously you know I'm a competitor and never want to win on retirement but you know I'll take that I'm happy with the way I played and um continue to build on that well congratulations on to the third round questions Willie how would you describe your thoughts about Ben Shelton from both playing with him and interacting with him and the possibility of facing him next yeah now I hope scen as up said I hope we play again for sure I mean I definitely want to play against him um obviously you know he's very much like me and you know how you know how excited and you know energetic he is on the court and has such a big game and big shots and serves big and um you know gets the crowd going um and then he's you know he's 20 21 years old I mean as as a guy he's just young and funny and you know crack jokes and um you know just about as immature as I am so it's it's uh it's we have we always have fun joking around and cracking jokes for sure what does he do best what is most challenging about his game for you obviously I mean obviously he Ser he's got one of better servers on the tour I me no question um especially Lefty and he hit all the spots and all change Paces quite well so um that's going to be uh it's going to be tough but I'm super excited Howard Francis what for you is it like when you have a night match during the day waiting around you've talked about loving that kind of moment and the spotlight and all of that but what's it like waiting 10 hours or however long it might be to get out on the court for that man Howard I play so much T night that it doesn't really phase me like it's almost weird if I play during the day honestly at this point in my career um I mean I I'm a very relaxed guy I don't really stress out much I mean if I'm playing an evening I'm not really thinking about it until I I get in a car to go in the morning I'm just chilling I'll walk you know with my girl get a chai latte in the morning watch some other matches unfold get on the gram I mean I'm not really play some Afro beats it's not not much I'm really stressed about until until it's time to go you know um it's been 20 years since an American won this tournament now you guys have five think so what's that what so say you have five in the top 20 now just how would you kind of describe the rise of the American men no I mean look I mean we're all we all been playing really well we've all been playing really well and there's there's a window there's an opening in the game and as I as I said um you know I mean this is my 10th US Open and a lot of guys I mean with a lot of familiar faces winning the event I mean we had three grades playing at the same time and you know winning the events obviously you had some sleepers come out of nowhere and win the US Open I think this is definitely one that um we can win um we just haven't done it yet we have five guys in Top 20 all guys are dangerous all guys are capable so it's kind of a one out thing and we saw you in the jayen Brenson Jersey and then it's funny it's funny I was actually trying to wear Mel Bridges cuz he he was coming he was coming to the max today and he texted me that he was coming to the max but I'm just not a morning person so I like I put it on and and then when I took it off to go practice I was like God man kayen but uh but yeah uh Bronson's he's he's a man here he's damn near bigger than Jay-Z yeah briges too just what's kind of the connection there uh you know mutual friend a mutual friend linked us I mean friends with a lot of guys in the league just because I'm I follow hoop a lot I have a lot of hoop celebration I did his celebration to him after the match um and he was he was laughing but uh yeah it's I mean it's all just um just just my you know my love for hoop and and them just you know following me cuz someone of color playing tennis so that's that's kind of the connection Matt hey Francis man that f m athletic how did that loss to Ben last year here affect you would you say in retrospect looking back on it no 100% 100% U obviously I wanted to get back toback semis I wanted to you know do well and then obviously you know tension shifts and um you know I wasn't that wasn't easy that wasn't something I was pleased about by any means you and then I had a you know Bad season after that um to follow but again I mean stuff stuff you definitely learn from and um you know I mean I think everything that comes you know in your career all the highs and lows only sus you up for better moments ahead so you know I'm super excited for for the match and um and the opportunity to do it again so yeah okay name and affiliation please thank you young lady right here uh Bluey black Global um during your press at wion you did share that you're kind of picky how you're picking your um coach you saw working with David with we meet you go with him especially that his background is a little bit more with WTA players Sakari Pula and so on so why did you end up working with David yeah I think uh you know obviously I'm you you know Pro women sports and everything I think if you coach well in anything it's your you're highle coach or if you you know it's it's it's whatever and I think our personality is just maxed so well he's so relaxed and and chill and obviously that you know helps me a lot and and he did so well I mean he did unbelievable Venus he did unbelievable Jess you know what I mean Jess was you know I mean your average kind of player and then now she's Elite I mean she's been Elite for years now I mean every time she steps in the slam you're like man she can win it so um just trying to be a part of that like so uh and it was and it was cool it was like the first day we started it was kind of like we just started from day one just got to work and um didn't put too much pressure on it just try to just stay in the present and just get to work and have fun Simon koline Garcia put some stuff on social media today just highlighting the kind of abuse she receives after losing matches on social media you know on Twitter Etc I mean what's your experience of that and how do you handle it look I get it I've been I mean I've been getting cooked for a long time I mean I I mean I get it like it obviously frustrates people and it's never good I mean people are saying out out landish sorry um outlandish stuff and it's just it's just it's just wild like you know what I mean like you got guys working all all their life like trying to compete at the highest level you know you don't know people's circumstances what they're going through and how this affects people but I think the biggest thing what I would definitely like to tell you know players and you know my other colleagues men women like these people like they're going to follow your life regardless like you know like so like don't don't hang your head don't hang your head so low like on on these things like they're following your life like you don't care about anything that they do like they're going to continue to follow your life um you know you like you're the prize you're the important person so um be more upset about like you know the loss or tough time you're actually going to and don't let your mood get even worse from people you don't know um or care about um opinion like puts you in the gutter cuz it's already it's already hard enough so that's the biggest thing I would say but again I'm not going to say it's a easy thing personally I don't care it doesn't bother me but for people I get why it it bothers them we'll get to everybody today Fran is very popular yesth I just wanted to ask you you've you've spoken before about how important sleep is in your recovery I just wondered like how you kind of manag that at a tournament like this whereas you say you're often playing late at night anyway just go to sleep bro I mean I I don't know you want me say I mean I think obviously if you if you finish like if you finish late um you know you your your day will and well the next day you know suffers a little bit but um just just focus on sleep like you know yesterday I didn't even come here at all um I was just in the crib um at the hotel did some recovery in the city and just slept and relaxed napped and just kind of chilled I had a busy week after Cincinnati and just kind of just wanted to hang out and relax so it's very very important cuz today I thought I was springy I was alert I was I was feeling it so you know those things matter more than anything like you know I mean at this point we're not going to forget how to hit a tennis ball on the right side huh do not that yeah but I tried to today but it was too early Ed Grogan tennis.com for a couple days away are are you ready for the Jaden Daniels era I like that question I I man like I think I think he's goingon to be good I think he's going to be a really good quarterback in this league and and obviously he's playing for us so I'm super excited for him um you know I mean our old line isn't the best but I'm I'm excited to see what what he does and what he shakes up I mean I think in in some years we can be good everyone in DC is talking about us going to the playoffs I don't I mean that's High Hopes but um we'll see man we'll see we'll see what happens I mean I'm I'm I'm really excited for him I'm I'm a fan and uh can't wait to meet him hey FR Tom car from the guardian I'm sure you played many many like practice sets against other players over the years have you it felt like someone was cheating you when you're calling your oh there's a lot of guys who hook oh God brutal brutal I'm not going to name names but brutal it's just comedy to me I mean I again just you know these practice sets aren't going on on ESPN like I I don't get why people do it but hey man whatever floats your boat but um it's yeah it it's it's funny it's funny a lot of people do when when someone does it to you what how do you react normally I me call him out he's laugh about it um be like come on bro like that's what we're doing like that's that's what we're on um but I mean yeah and then and then like you know I'll I'll do it back not like blatant but like if there's a close one like I'll be like n that's just out sorry bro like it's got I don't really care like it's out in the back there hey Francis ad so.org a lot of Sports Talk um uh you mentioned some of the music that you listen to coming to either the US Open or to an event is afro beats um who are your favorite afro beats artists whether they be contemporary or pioneering afro beats uh musicians and what does that particular music genre do for you yeah just gets me in that mode man makes you feel good right like obviously um I mean burnner is my family I mean I listen to him nonstop um whiskey Davido aake is killing right now um she's she's some big Tam's had a great new album I mean you going make me go down the list there's this there's this new guy um K Shonda or Cas yeah he had this fire song with a gold link and stuff I was playing that in the locker room before I came here Vibes um but before I play I mean I'm I'm listening to nipy like to get like really going yeah nip kind of changed my uh my Approach and how I see life and everything he's he's been big for me me a couple more young lady uh Lauren alberty Self Magazine um how are you feeling mentally right now and what's kind of going through your mind I mean I feel good mentally I mean pretty hungry right now but um yeah but other other than other than that I feel pretty good man all jokes aside um I feel I feel sharp I feel ready um Ready for War Ready to continue to you know compete for this thing we we have a very very tough section um so this is kind of now where it gets going and you got to be a you got to be ready to to give everything now no excuses um kind of be able to put your best foot forward and and and be ready so whatever you got to do do it and I I'll be I'll be ready to come Friday okay last question Loro uh they asked on the court about your laundry um yeah it's a disgrace what it's a disgrace yeah what about shoes like how many sneakers do you have ready for a for a five set match and then like over the course of a whole Grand Slam like how many How many pairs of shoes do you think you go through yeah I got like eight pairs but I bring like I brought three today I'm going get one more tomorrow it's better just be overprepared than not I mean obviously can't get get to the hotel so quick in Manhattan takes a while to get back so um yeah so try to try to you know be overprepared I mean I'm sweating crazy I mean today was was it 95 5 deges outside say was crazy um but yeah I mean I just I just try to bring as much as I can I got 20 shirts I got you know a bunch of shoes I'm I'm happy I've been able to keep everything with me to be honest with you I lose everything so okay so I've been I've been doing pretty well with that so far especially in the majors thank you Francis thank you everyone appreciate it guys good job thank you