Frances Tiafoe, diamond (from Sierra Leone) in the rough of American tennis
Photo: Darrow Montgomery
Let your mind wander: imagine the financial security that comes with winning 6,7,8 games in a row in front of an exalted crowd shouting your name every move you make. Imagine the feeling of accomplishment. Imagine being titled in London, Paris and New York, in front of millions of viewers worldwide... That feeling, that joy, is the dream of most tennis players, a dream obtainable only with mental strength, dedication and perseverance.
Tennis, to some, can seem boring, but for me, it is one of the most exciting sports there is. The games are not limited by time, but a very strict point system which gives players the opportunity to bring the game back in their favor and at any given moment, gives fans the chance to experience intense emotions that can be very unpredictable.
After diligently following the last six seasons of tennis and watching hundreds of matches, I came to notice a young Black American player. His name is Frances Tiafoe.
His energy on the court did not go unnoticed by fans during the Australian Open in 2019 when he became better known to the public. Although he didn’t start as a favorite, his undeniable presence, his ardor, his talent, and his attitude spiced up the tournament. He was playing like he was a gift from God to the audience, he was playing like the court was his.
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A star is born
Frances Tiafoe, "Big Foe" by his nickname, and his twin brother Franklin were born in 1998, in Maryland, a few years after his parents migrated from Sierra Leone.
Mr. and Mrs. Tiafoe were fleeing the civil war that was devastating this beautiful country of West Africa where the mining of conflict diamonds cost the lives of innocent civilians and plunged the country into a state of chaos for decades. In 1996, Frances’ mother Alphina won the green card lottery, which allowed her to move with her family to the United States. Both Alphina and her husband Constant were able to find jobs upon their arrival in the US, she as a nurse and him as a maintenance manager at the Tennis Champion Center in Maryland.
Mr. Tiafoe used to take his young sons Frances and Franklin to work with him, at first they would wait for their father asleep on the office floor. Eventually, the two boys taught themselves how to play tennis by watching the privileged kids receive their private lessons.
Quickly, what had started as a hobby became a passion. Frances’ talent became obvious to everyone and the establishment offered him free lessons. He ended up joining the USTA National Training Center in Florida where he trained with the best players in the country.
By the age of fifteen, Frances was already one of the best players of his generation. His rounded forehand, powerful and one of a kind, was devastating.
Image: BBC
Big Foe is precise, fast, but above all, adept on all surfaces: hard, clay or turf. He has an instinctive game, which allows him to hit as hard as any of his opponents, even those who are renowned for their strength; move as fast as any player, including those who are known to be the swiftest. His serve also delivers exceptional precision and power. These qualities are what makes his game spectacular to watch.
Tiafoe won a number of high-level junior titles in his teens and reached no. 2 in the world International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings before becoming the youngest player to win the Orange Bowl tournament. He was then referred to as the next great American hope, a diamond in the rough.
“I think tennis was the way out, tennis helped me. I play for so much more than myself. I play for my friends, for my family, I play to really inspire young children to play tennis," Tiafoe said when he was only 19 years old.
In Melbourne, he reached his first grand slam quarter-final on his twenty-first birthday. The audience, twenty thousand people, sang “happy birthday” to him in unison. The victory brought him to the quarter-finals, against Rafael Nadal. He was then one of the top eight players in the tournament - an incredible achievement for a player of his rank. During the tournament, Tiafoe shone on the court and celebrated each victory with the public and the world.
Tiafoe in Melbourne celebrated by the audience. Image: Getty Images
But Tiafoe was always aware how incredible his story was and never ceased to relish in the grandeur of his accomplishments. “Everything you talked about, everything you went through, brought you to the quarter-finals of a grand slam. Biggest cheque you ever made. LeBron James is talking about you. Everyone’s so worried about making a living but you did it. It felt beautiful,” he said with the maturity of someone who knows that life doesn't give the same opportunities to everyone.
Victory belongs to those who persevere
But after the Australian Open of 2019, his career took an unexpected turn. In early 2020, he started losing to players outside the top 100. His own ranking fell down to no. 81.
“I got complacent, got pretty comfortable,” Tiafoe said. “I thought I was just going to just keep going. It doesn't work like that. Same work you did to get up there, the same work you need to keep going […] Now I'm in a rebuilding stage. I'm playing great tennis. I don't think my ranking states anywhere near how I'm playing. On any given day I can beat anybody in the world. I know that,” he stated with confidence.
This is the same confidence he showed when winning over Stefanos Tsitsipas at Wimbledon, Denis Shapovalov in Canada, Andy Murray in Winston-Salem and Andrey Rublev at the U.S. Open 2021. Today Tiafoe is 23, and his last performance at the US Open definitely put him on the map (again) for anyone who hadn’t noticed him.
“I'm just in a good place. I'm just happy playing tennis out there. Happy you guys [can see] what I can do out there and it's just fun.”
Tiafoe at the US Open in 2021. Image: USA Today
Tiafoe could have had more fun if he had reached the quarterfinals but Auger-Aliassime took him out 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, 6-4. Although Tiafoe had a few opportunities to take control of the match, he did not go further in the tournament.
But the joy he gives the audience is still intact, watching his game, his magic on the court is sometimes more satisfying than thinking of the final win. His story right out of a novel, cannot leave anyone indifferent. Nevertheless, his time to shine is not over. Big Foe has taken us on an adventure and he is not close to crossing the finish line.
“I want to use my story to inspire others,” Tiafoe says. The game is not over yet, and I’ll be watching.
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