Frances Tiafoe and a life on the tennis court

Born in Maryland to Sierra Leonean parents, Tiafoe was raised on tennis courts – literally.

In 1999, when Tiafoe Jr. was just a year old, his father was employed to work on the construction of a new tennis academy.

This would become the Junior Tennis Champions Center (JTCC) at College Park Tennis Club, one of the most prestigious tennis facilities in the US with 32 courts.

Tiafoe recalled via The Players’ Tribune in 2017, “While my dad worked, I picked up the game during nights and weekends at the facility when the other kids weren’t around. I’d hit against the wall by myself, mimicking techniques I had seen older boys at the academy do. Eventually, I was accepted into the academy, and the rest is history.”

Tiafoe Sr. continued working at the facilities after construction was completed and was given accommodation to live on site, with his two sons living there during weekdays.

Thanks to his father’s work, Tiafoe was able to use the facilities for free, eventually taking up training sessions without paying the usual fees. It gave him the opportunity to play the sport without the huge financial burdens.