Tiafoe grabs attention
Ask Frances Tiafoe about his career plans, and he answers with the same extraordinary steeliness of purpose that has characterised his entire journey along the tennis path to date.
“I had a vision and I wanted it every day,” says the 20-year-old, before borrowing a favourite quote by film star Will Smith: “There’s no reason to have a Plan B, because it distracts from Plan A.”
This week the hugely charismatic American has beaten a seed at a Grand Slam for the first time, despatching No.30 Fernando Verdasco in the first round. Having seen off France's Julien Benneteau in the second round, he is now about to embark on another first – a third round Grand Slam match, in his case against Karen Khachanov. As Tiafoe contemplates the possibility of Wimbledon’s second week, his story commands attention – and not only because his progress so far has guaranteed his ranking breakthrough into the top 50.
Twin boys
Tiafoe’s parents were immigrants to the United States from war-torn Sierra Leone in the mid-1990s and made their home in Maryland. His father, also called Frances, worked as a day labourer in a construction crew building a junior tennis centre there, and once it was complete he became head of maintenance. By then his wife, Alphina, had given birth to twins, Frances and brother Franklin, and the infants would often accompany their father at the tennis centre all day while Alphina worked as a nurse.
When the twins were five, their father was able to arrange for them to begin training, bypassing the usual fees. At nine, Frances moved to the United States Tennis Association national training centre in Florida, to work with more experienced coaches. As a child, his idol was Juan Martin del Potro, because he was the first player who ever signed a ball for him. But by the age of 12 he was making plans for adult life. In a story he likes to relate now, he sat his parents down for a chat.
Change our lives
“I’m going to change everybody’s life,” the pre-teen Frances told them. “I’m going to buy you a house. Everyone’s going to live nice. And at the end of my career, no one’s going to have to worry about anything.”
Fast forward to 2018 and that family house has been purchased, and his story has brought a greater spotlight than others might at a similar stage. He is not only the youngest and most intriguing among the crop of rising American players, but as one of the few black players on the ATP Tour, he says: "That’s one of my biggest motivations – to get more black people playing tennis. But I'm just trying to inspire everyone, doesn't matter what race – especially younger people.”
Interestingly, it is already two years since he broke into the top 100, as the youngest player in that elite bracket. That particular statistic can sometimes be a red herring, as tennis is littered with budding young careers which, for any number of reasons, never quite bloom. Tiafoe’s rise has not been magically linear. It has clearly helped him that he now travels with a good mate, Zack Evenden - a 26-year-old Briton who played college tennis in Florida and who also acts as his hitting partner.
Raw talent
Since the autumn of 2015, his coach has been the former world No.15 Robby Ginepri (who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon 14 years ago). He describes his charge as a tremendous raw talent. Tiafoe’s whipped forehand is often his go-to weapon, while his improving serve is “a work in progress”. John Isner says Tiafoe can return his own serve as well as anyone, save Novak Djokovic. Above all they have focused on consistency.
This year brought Tiafoe’s first ATP title, at Delray Beach; and on the way to that title, he defeated Del Potro, the player who signed his tennis ball all those years ago.
“I was lucky,” says Tiafoe. “I got so many opportunities. I think about all the kids that look up to me now. Things are possible if you go get it.”
