Frances Tiafoe (born January 20, 1998) is an American professional tennis player. He has a career-high ATP singles ranking of No. 39, achieved on October 21, 2019. Tiafoe has won two ATP singles titles and reached the semifinals at the 2018 Delray Beach Open and the 2019 Fayez Sarofim & Co. U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship. He has also won one ATP doubles title, the 2019 Delray Beach Open with partner Mitchell Krueger.
Frances Tiafoe Early Life:
Tiafoe was born and raised in Hyattsville, Maryland, to Connie Tiafoe (née Rouse) and Francesco Tiafoe.
Frances Tiafoe Family:
His father is originally from Conakry, Guinea, and his mother is African American. When Tiafoe was five years old, his father began working as a janitor at the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) in College Park, Maryland, where he met tennis coach Tarik Benhabiles.
Tiafoe and his brother, Franklin, began to take tennis lessons at the JTCC with Benhabiles. In an interview, Tiafoe said that when he was young, he practiced for hours with his father and brother in the public courts of Prince George’s County, Maryland. He has described his father as his best friend and biggest role model.
Tiafoe resides in Bradenton, Florida. His father lost his life to a heart attack on March 4, 2020, at 54. In November 2020, Tiafoe announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.
Frances Tiafoe Education:
Tiafoe attended DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. As a junior in high school, he won the 18-and-under title at the 2015 Easter Bowl. In May 2015, Tiafoe won his first ATP Challenger Tour event, the Winnetka Challenger, defeating Michał Przysiężny in the final.
Tiafoe is a fan of the Washington Redskins and Washington Wizards. He is also known for having an aggressive style of play, favors a serve-and-volley approach, and is renowned for his athleticism, quickness, and powerful forehand. His primary sponsors are New Balance and Babolat.
Frances Tiafoe Sun sign:
Frances Tiafoe is Aquarius.
Frances Tiafoe Physical stats:
Tiafoe is 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 86 kg (190 lb).
Frances Tiafoe Career:
Tiafoe made his ATP main draw debut at the 2015 BB&T Atlanta Open, receiving a wildcard into the doubles event with Mitchell Krueger. They lost in the first round to Henri Kontinen and John Peers. The following week, he received a wildcard into the singles main draw of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic, losing in the first round to Steve Johnson. Tiafoe then competed at the U.S. Open Junior Championships, reaching the semifinals before losing to eventual champion Denis Shapovalov.
In October, Tiafoe won his first ATP Challenger title at the Stockton Challenger, defeating Daniel Nguyen in the final. He finished his debut professional season ranked No. 208 in the world.
The following season, Tiafoe reached his first ATP final at the Delray Beach Open, losing to Jack Sock. He then made his Grand Slam singles debut at the French Open, where he lost in the first round to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. In June, Tiafoe won his second ATP Challenger title at the Nottingham Challenger, defeating Jason Jung in the final.
Tiafoe made his first appearance in an ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event at the 2017 Cincinnati Masters, receiving a wildcard into the main draw. He defeated Kyle Edmund in the first round before losing to Juan Martín del Potro in the second round. Later that month, Tiafoe reached his first Grand Slam singles third round at the U.S. Open, where he lost to Tennys Sandgren.
Tiafoe had a breakthrough season in 2018, winning his first ATP title at the Delray Beach Open and his first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at the U.S. Open. He also made his Davis Cup debut for the United States in February, helping them defeat Switzerland 5–0 in the first round.
In 2019, Tiafoe reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, losing to Rafael Nadal in straight sets. This was his best result at a Grand Slam tournament until he bettered it by reaching the quarterfinals of the 2020 French Open. At the 2020 U.S. Open, Tiafoe was seeded 20th but lost in the first round to Jannik Sinner.
In January 2021, Tiafoe won the ATP Cup with Team USA, defeating Italy in the final. This was his second title and first-team tennis title.
Frances Tiafoe Awards and Nominations:
- In 2018, Tiafoe was nominated for the ATP Newcomer of the Year Award.
- In 2019, Tiafoe won the ATP Most Improved Player of the Year Award.
- In 2020, Tiafoe was nominated for the ATP Fan Favorite Singles Player of the Year Award.
Frances Tiafoe Controversy:
In February 2021, Tiafoe was fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct after spitting in the direction of chair umpire Arnaud Gabas during his second-round match at the Australian Open. He apologized on social media afterward, saying he had “let my emotions get the best of me.”
In March 2021, Tiafoe was again fined for unsportsmanlike conduct, this time $5,000 for throwing his racket and swearing during a match at the Miami Open. He later apologized for his behavior, saying he “lost control in the moment.”
Tiafoe has also been criticized for misogynistic and homophobic comments during matches and disrespecting opponents and umpires. In 2020, he was fined $3,000 for an on-court outburst in which he threatened to “find” and “fuck” an umpire’s family. He has also been filmed making lewd comments about female players, including Serena Williams and Eugenie Bouchard.
In 2019, Tiafoe spoke against Donald Trump, saying he did not “respect the guy at all.” He has also been critical of Tennis Australia’s decision to give Bernard Tomic a wildcard.
LeBron James Congratulating Him On U.S. Open Win Over Rafael Nadal
As Francis Tiafoe celebrated his latest US Open win, he received a very special congratulatory message from NBA superstar LeBron James. The two athletes have become friends over the past year, and James quickly showed his support for Tiafoe after his big victory.
CONGRATS Young King!!! You earned it! @FTiafoe ??✊??? https://t.co/QQ0Jn7Lotp
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 5, 2022
Frances Tiafoe Net Worth:
As of 2022, Tiafoe has a net worth of $5 million.
Frances Tiafoe Endorsements:
Tiafoe has endorsement deals with Adidas, Rolex, and Babolat.
Frances Tiafoe Social Media Presence:
Tiafoe is active on social media and has over 270 k+ followers on Instagram @bigfoe1998 as of 2022.
