‘People see themselves in me': Frances Tiafoe on being a tennis trailbazer in a mainly white sport

Irish Examiner

a day ago

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 men's tennis. During a stroll on tournament grounds he reels off the names of players he competes with regularly on the tour. 'Now they're at 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 around a corner as if magically summoned by the American's utterance. His arrival naturally leads to a pause in this interview as an excited Tiafoe greets Monfils by heaping praise on his new haircut, particularly focusing his attention on the Frenchman's sleek fade. Monfils responds with a compliment of his own: 'You're looking like a wedding day,' he says, laughing.
This encounter perfectly encapsulates the dynamic between two different generations of black players in a sport where their success immediately marks them as trailblazers. Although they step on to the court with the sole intention of beating each other, there is also a deep understanding 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 get it twisted, when he plays he still wants to beat my ass and so do I, but it's just a lot of love.' Tiafoe, at No 14 in the rankings is the third-highest ranked US man behind Taylor Fritz, the world No 4, and Ben Shelton, who won the Toronto Masters 1000 on Thursday night, but in terms of name recognition the 27-year-old has become the most prominent US male tennis player in years.
His matches attract NBA stars like Kevin Durant, he breaks bread with Taylor Swift and has earned a fan in Michelle Obama. In recent weeks Tiafoe has been name-dropped in songs from the rap duo Clipse and the rapper Wale.
'I still think he's the player on tour with the most clout, like every celebrity knows him, or he knows every celebrity. He's mentioned in two rap songs, so he's pretty iconic,' says Coco Gauff, laughing.
Tiafoe, for his part, believes his burgeoning profile underlines the importance of tennis reaching beyond its traditional audience: 'Just to be able to be in a position where I get crossover, people want to be a part of things I'm doing in a predominantly white sport. They see themselves in me, in the sport, and they want to get behind me. Hopefully I'm able to get that done,' he says.
There is also simply nobody like Tiafoe. His extroverted character and bluntness can be abrasive to some spectators, but he is kind, warm and has time for everyone. Laughter is never far from his lips, which makes his energy infectious. He has also deliberately made a point of using his platform to promote female athletes. When he is not playing, he is often at WNBA games and he wears player jerseys throughout the tennis season during practice. He is friends with many female basketball players.
'I think [female athletes] just need to get their flowers,' says Tiafoe. 'They put in the work, just like we do. They just need to be getting their love, their notoriety, their compensation. Let them smell their flowers. That's kind of what it is. And I think more women should support women, to be honest with you, because it's a beautiful thing. It's not just me showing up and supporting it. It's me showing up and watching a good product.'
In addition to his support for women's sport, Tiafoe has also actively tried to help certain female tennis players follow in his path. His success has paved the way for others at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC), his childhood tennis club near Washington DC, particularly the WTA players Hailey Baptiste and Robin Montgomery. This year, while also working with Franklin Tiafoe, Frances's twin brother, Baptiste has enjoyed a breakout season, reaching the top 50. Both players cite Tiafoe as a mentor they have constantly sought advice from and he has tried to be on hand to help them in any way he can. He takes great pride in their success.
'I'm still young – I've still got a lot more to achieve. I still haven't scratched the surface of my career. But with them, I've already won in so many ways,' says Tiafoe. 'So it's kind of how you look at the glass, but it's amazing to be in that seat. It's a blessing.'
During tournaments, Tiafoe can sometimes be found training with other female players, which is still an unusual sight. He describes Jessica Pegula as his favourite training partner on the WTA: 'She hits the ball so pure and right in pocket every time,' he says. 'She's pretty relaxed as well. But she doesn't want to hit with me any more. She's made some finals now in some slams, 1000s, and she doesn't want to talk to me as much any more. She got too big time for me. She forgot about the little people.'
Such is his jovial nature, Tiafoe is often the butt of jokes among his friends on the tour. They tease him for his questionable organisational skills, his lack of punctuality and his general unseriousness. His driving has also come under fire. Offered a platform to defend himself against his friends' scorn, Tiafoe smiles. 'I just recently got my license, so I was definitely shaky in the early days, probably when they were saying it,' says Tiafoe. 'But I'm definitely nice [at driving]. I'm definitely [Lewis] Hamilton 2.0 behind the wheel so I don't worry too much about it.'
The story of Tiafoe's past has already been told countless times, but it can never be repeated enough. The son of Sierra Leonean parents who immigrated to the United States, Tiafoe spent much of his formative years at the JTCC, where his father worked as a janitor.
He has defied almost impossible odds to establish himself as one of the best tennis players in the world. After reaching his second grand slam semi-final at the US Open last year, when he lost to Fritz in five sets in heartbreaking fashion, this year Tiafoe will attempt to rediscover the magic on courts that have regularly inspired his best.
Regardless of what awaits him as he enters the prime years of his career, however, it is obvious that in many ways Tiafoe has already won.
'I'd tell guys from the [club] that I'd want to be a pro,' says Tiafoe. 'They would just clown and not take it seriously. I was always like: 'Don't worry, man. I'm going to be the last person laughing.' Here we are today.'
Guardian