Frances Tiafoe Bio

  • • Nickname is Big Foe.
  • • Began playing tennis against a wall at age 3 with twin brother, Franklin.
  • • Trained as a kid at the Junior Tennis Champions Centre in College Park, MD, USA, where his father served as Head of Maintenance. Occasionally came to work with his father and spent entire days at tennis centre. Mother helped him and his brother with school.
  • • Father, Frances Sr., and mother, Alphina, moved from Sierra Leone to USA in 1996.
  • • Visited Sierra Leone at age 8 alongside his mother and brother. "I came back thinking different," said Frances. "I came back appreciating everything."
  • • Favourite surface is clay, shot is forehand and tournament is ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells.
  • • Childhood idol was Juan Martin del Potro, whom he beat en route to 2018 Delray Beach title.
  • • Dream opponent is Yannick Noah.
  • • Recipient of 2020 Arthur Ashe Humanitarian Award.
  • • Ambassador for ThanksUSA and USTA's National Junior Tennis and Learning (NJTL).
  • • During COVID-19 pandemic, auctioned off signed memorabilia to benefit Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
  • • Also in 2020, posted "Racquets Down, Hands Up" video that united Black tennis community during Black Lives Matter movement.
  • • Enjoys going to the movies and watching basketball and American football.
  • • Big fan of NBA players Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
  • • Often imitates James' celebration following victories and was congratulated by James on Twitter after defeating Rafael Nadal at 2022 US Open. "Man, I was losing it in the locker room. Bro, I was going crazy," Tiafoe said. "That's my guy. So to see him post that, I was like, 'Do I retweet it as soon as he sent it?'"
  • • Supports Washington Wizards (NBA), Washington Capitals (NHL) and Washington Commanders (NFL).
     

Biographical information from ATP. Information might not be up to date.


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