It’s September 5th, 2022.

We’re watching an American (Frances Tiafoe) take on a legend (Rafael Nadal) in US Open play.

The crowd’s been kinda shifting back and forth all night because it’s been a long time since an American beat anyone — let alone a legend — this late in Open play. Before we watch Tiafoe try to win match point, we should learn about his origin story, about Rafa’s recent history, and about what this match could mean in the context of modern American tennis.

We need to rewind.