While the US Open is celebrating the 75th birthday of Althea Gibson, who breaks the color barrier of tennis at the American national championships of 1950, Frances Tiafoe is one of the many black tennis stars who would like to continue its legacy.
After his second round victory on Wednesday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Tiafoe thought about how Gibson cleared the way for him and many of his colleagues.
“It’s incredible. What a legend, man,” he said and noticed how Gibson was the stage for the Williams Sisters, 2017 US Open Champion Sloane Stephens and 2023 winner Coco Gauff.
“[Althea] was a real leader and an incredible person. Haar and Arthur [Ashe]Man, “The American went on.” So I have Hella love for both, and I wish I could say that to them personally, but clearly the circumstances … but man, if they look at us there, I hope they smile at us, because we do great things with that little chance [they gave us]. ”
Tiafoe also referred to the Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, who won her first WTA 1000 title in Montreal three weeks ago. Tiafoe answered a question about the growing African-American presence in tennis and explained what it means for him to be the son of Sierra Leonean immigrants.
“For me I am in a different place. Of course I am at the end of the day, yes, I am Afro-American, but I am African, good and Afrikaans,” he shared. “So see someone like Mboko and Felix [Auger-Aliassime] and myself, Clervie [Ngounoue]That is a completely different beast. You have parents who come to make the lives of these children, they give a chance better than they had. So I understand that, being the son of immigrants.
“In the end, to be able to see so many people doing color, doing great things in a predominantly white sport, it’s huge. I think that brings incredible diversity to the game. I think that brings a totally different demography to the game. I am glad that I can be a small ounce of that, and young boys look at me and want to be like that.
“It is clear that I had a lot of great examples for me and a couple of people will come behind me. So I am glad that I am part of it in my prime and see it grow and I can’t wait to keep seeing where it goes.
“Afro-Americans in tennis, we are now at a record high. I mean, completely killing.”
Read the full story Usopen.org
[NEWSLETTER FORM]
#Tiafoe #reflects #legacy #Althea #Gibson #pay #advance