FRances Tiafoe is in his element when he talks passionately about the growing presence of black and mixed heritage players at the highest levels of Herentennis. During a walk on the tournament, he takes the names of players with whom he regularly competes on the Tour. “Now they are in a position where I have wars with them and go back and forth. So this is great, man. It’s great to see,” he says. And then you have Giovanni [Mpetshi Perricard]You have Gaël [Monfils]who I looked up to. ‘
Seconds After Tiafoe mentions his name, Monfils suddenly appears from a corner as if he was magically called by the expression of the American. His arrival of course leads to a break in this interview as an excited Tiafoe greeted Monfils by praising his new hairstyle, in particular his attention aimed at the slender blurring of the Frenchman. Monfils responds with its own compliment: “You look like a wedding day,” he says laughing.
This meeting perfectly includes the dynamics between two different generations of black players in a sport where their success immediately marks them as trail blazers. Although they step on the field with the only intention to beat each other, there is also a deep concept between them and they are extremely supportive.
“He texts me all the time,” says Tiafoe. “He tells me, like,” Yo, you can do this. ” Don’t let it go, if he plays, he still wants to beat my ass and I too, but it’s just a lot of love. “
Tiafoe, at no. 14 in the ranking, is the third highest ranked American man behind Taylor Fritz, the World No 4, and Ben Shelton, who won the Toronto Masters 1000 on Thursday evening, but in terms of name recognition the 27-year-old has become the most prominent American tennis player in years.
His competitions attract NBA stars like Kevin Durant, he Breaks bread with Taylor Swift and has Earn a fan in Michelle Obama. In recent weeks, Tiafoe has been given a name in numbers from the Rapduo Clipse and the Rapper Wale.
“I still think he is the player on tour with the most influence, as every celebrity knows him, or he knows any celebrity. He has mentioned in two rap numbers, so he is quite iconic,” says Coco Gauff, laughing.
Tiafoe, for his part, believes that his budding profile underlines the importance of tennis that goes beyond his traditional audience: “Just to be in a position where I get crossover, people want to be part of things I do in a predominantly white sport. They see themselves in me, in sport, and they want to come behind me.
There is also no one like Tiafoe. His extrovert character and boneness can be abrasive for some spectators, but he is friendly, warm and has time for everyone. Laughing is never far from his lips, which makes his energy contagious. He also deliberately made a point to use his platform to promote female athletes. When he does not play, he is often in WNBA matches and carries player Jerseys during the tennis season during the training. He is friends with many female basketball players.
“I think [female athletes] Just have to get their flowers, “says Tiafoe.” They did the work, just like us. They just have to get their love, their fame, their compensation. Let them smell their flowers. That’s a bit what it is. And I think more women should support women, to be honest because it is something beautiful. I don’t just show up and support it. I show up and look at a good product. “
In addition to his support for women’s sports, Tiafoe has also actively tried to help certain female tennis players follow on his path. His success has cleared the way for others in the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC), his youth tennis club near Washington DC, in particular the WTA players Hailey Baptiste and Robin Montgomery. This year, while he also collaborated with Franklin Tiafoe, the twin brother of Frances, Baptiste enjoyed a Breakout season, with the top 50. Both players call Tiafoe as a mentor of which they constantly sought advice and he tried to be by the hand to help them in every way he can. He is very proud of their success.
“I am still young – I have much more to reach. I still have not scratched the surface of my career. But I have already won with them in so many ways,” says Tiafoe. “So it’s how you look at the glass, but it’s great to be on that chair. It’s a blessing.”
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During tournaments, Tiafoe can sometimes be found training with other female players, which is still an unusual face. He describes Jessica Pegula as his favorite training partner on the WTA: “She touches the ball so pure and every time straight in bag,” he says. “She is also pretty relaxed. But she doesn’t want to touch me anymore. She has now achieved some finals in some slams, 1000s, and she doesn’t want to talk to me. She is too big for me. She forgot the little people.”
That is his jovial character, Tiafoe is often the flask of jokes among his friends during the Tour. They tease him for his doubtful organizational skills, his lack of punctuality and his general Onserie. His driving has also come under fire. Offered a platform to defend himself against the contempt of his friends, Tiafoe laughs. “I recently received my license, so I was certainly shaky in the early days, probably when they said it,” says Tiafoe. ‘But I am absolutely nice [at driving]. I’m sure [Lewis] Hamilton 2.0 behind the wheel, so I’m not worried about it. “
The story of Tiafoe’s past has been told countless times, but it can never be repeated enough. The son of the parents of Sierra Leone who emigrated to the United States, Tiafoe spent many of his forming years in the JTCC, where his father worked as a caretaker.
He has almost impossible opportunities to settle as one of the best tennis players in the world. After reaching his second Grand Slam Semi-Final in the US Open last year, when he lost to Fritz in a heartbreaking way in five sets, Tiafoe will try to rediscover the magic on courts that have regularly inspired his best this year.
Regardless of what awaits him when he enters the first years of his career, but it is clear that Tiafoe has already won in many respects.
‘I would be guys from the [club] That I would like to be a professional, “says Tiafoe.” They would just take clown and not seriously. I always had something like that: ‘Don’t worry, man. I will be the last person who laughs. “Here we are today. “
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