Kevin Anderson not only made South Africa proud by reaching the final of the U.S. Open -- his parents are beaming with joy.
Following his defeat at the hands of Rafael Nadal, Kevin Anderson's mother, Barbara Anderson, was upbeat about her son's amazing achievement.
"If you work very hard and you do not reach where you want to be, you are certainly not a failure because you have given it your best. That is what he has done," she said.
"We had two days of real celebration as he played on Friday and then again on Sunday. There was an air of excitement. We celebrated with friends and family, so now it is the calm after the upheaval, now we can relax," she said.
"It has always been his dream. I couldn't believe it when I saw him on a huge stage. I had to pinch myself," said Barbara.
When HuffPost paid a visit to the Anderson household, it was clear to see that Kevin's family are his biggest fans. On entering, the first thing you see is a plaque of Kevin's highest ranking as an Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) player and the fridge is a mosaic of all his achievements.
"My husband always said, if we have boys, they will play tennis. Our whole lives have been [spent] around a tennis court," said Barbara.
Teamwork definitely makes the dream work with the Andersons. The parents attend at least two Grand Slams per year with Wimbledon being their favourite. "I go to Wimbledon once a year, we see him twice a year. He was really honoured by the love shown by South Africans."
When asked what she would tell her son if she was with him right now, she said: "Please celebrate the moment, you have got it in you, keep playing and success will come".