By Bill Simons
In Washington D.C., the American government is led by a man with an African father, who likes hoops and is said to have a good jump shot. And guess what: Some day soon, American tennis might just be led by a boy from the D.C. area who has an African father, likes hoops, and has a good jumper.
Meet young Francis Tiafoe, just 16. Since American tennis these days is rather sickly, all eyes are on the highly-hyped wonder kid from College Park, Maryland.
He’s been on CBS, in the New York Times, and on the front page of the Washington Post. We’re talking high profile.
Of course, Tiafoe is not exactly the first bright tennis hopeful to capture the spotlight. Years ago, John McEnroe famously scouted the young Donald Young. The media drooled when Venus Williams emerged, and one tournament that featured super phenom Jennifer Capriati was dubbed the Virginia Slims of Capriati.
Now it’s Tiafoe’s turn. Already some $400,000 has been invested into his career. This is not a soft launch. Moving like the wind and looking far more grown than his 16 years, he’s dressed in a bright Caribbean blue outfit. His shirt shimmers, and so does his bright future.
On this day, his match has been shifted to a Roland Garros outback, Court 17. Take that, Yankee hot shot. But that doesn’t stop a horde of reporters, photographers, wannabe agents, coaches, the Mayor of Washington D.C., and a tennis-loving billionaire or two from traipsing out to the intimate, tree-lined outer courts. USTA handlers and Tiafoe’s coaches are on hand.
Here, the eye catches elegant apartments in the distance and a gentle collection of modest old trees. One hears the quiet hum of a nearby boulevard, and the edgy squeals from a junior on a nearby practice court. All the while, tennis historians speak of a bizarre corner of tennis lore—closets.
Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Amelie Mauresmo all came out of the closet. Boris Becker conceived one of his children in a broom closet in a London restaurant. As for Tiafoe and his twin brother, on occasion they would sleep overnight on a massage table in a 10′ by 14′ storage room that some have likened to a closet, at the storied Junior Tennis Champions Center in Maryland, where his father—an emigrant from Sierra Leone—lived for awhile when he was the facility’s janitor.
What a tale! Then again, from Pancho Segura‘s dirt-poor beginnings in Ecuador, to careers born in Moscow basement apartments or the LA ghetto, rags-to-riches tales have enlivened tennis, providing some of the sport’s greatest players. Now, Tiafoe’s Dad gets to his job at a car wash on a used bike, and his mom labors in a nursing home while going to school. But we get ahead of ourselves.
Those craving for a new American champion have looked at Sampras, Agassi, and Chang and said our next hero would be the product of emigrants. Tiafoe’s parents are both from Sierra Leone.
Others insist that what American tennis needs are gifted athletes. Clearly, in Tiafoe, we have one. Broad-shouldered, 6′ 1″ and growing, he attacks the ball ball with great acceleration, unleashing laser, whiplash forehands and moving like the wind. The youngest Orange Bowl winner in history, he’s also grabbed the Easter Bowl, and he rolled through his first match in Paris, defeating a French wild card opponent 6-4, 7-5.
After the win, there was a surge of elation amidst the American camp. Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty told IT that Tiafoe is a dream: “He works with the younger kids, he’s gracious, and a good sportsman—everything you would want in a player. He’s young and fun to watch. For what he’s doing, he’s handling it with tremendous maturity.”
USTA Player Development Chief Pat McEnroe added, “I’m very optimistic about his future. He has a long way to go … He’s freaking fast. I like that, and he’s got a live arm. Bill, did you see those forehands? He knows how to play tennis and he loves tennis.”
So what about dealing with the relentless hype machine,? “See these people around here?” McEnroe said, pointing to coaches Jose Higueras and Jay Berger, and to Mark Ein, the owner of the Washington Kastles. “We’re going to help navigate that. We’re a good team.”
Tiafoe admitted that there was pressure from having risen so quickly in the junior ranks and being the No. 1 seed. “I was really nervous from the start,” he said. “I was just happy to get through it.” This was not the first time Tiafoe, who adores tennis, played in France. Two years ago, he won a big international tourney here. “I love tennis so much,” he enthused. “I can play here at Roland Garros; [I can] travel and see new things and compete around the world. It means the most to me … knowing I was going to go play the French Open, I was very excited…words can’t explain.”
And words can’t explain Tiafoe’s singular path. He plays or thinks tennis 24/7. His favorite player isn’t Roger, Rafa, or Nole, it’s Juan Martin del Potro. The first big tournament he wants to win isn’t Wimbledon or the US Open, it’s the French.
As for his training, Tiafoe has taken the road less traveled, away from the sport’s American sun belt. He’s based at Maryland’s Junior Champions Tennis Center, as much a “the whole person matters” community as it is a high-performance academy.
At the highly-touted 32-court site, Tiafoe has seen the likes of Denis Kudla and Allison Riske train for the circuit. He’s also had to hit the books big time, and he continually gives back. “I really like it,” he says with a gleaming smile. “The coaches are really great. My primary coach Misha Kouznetsov and my side-help coach Frank [Salazar]. I really like being there. I’m respectful of the coaches, the players, and I feel at home there … [Plus] I mentor kids young Asian kids there, and that helps me mature, have responsibilities, and it helps my tennis a lot.”
In a “look at me” age of entitlement, Tiafoe celebrates modesty. He seemed in awe when he shared that he had chatted with Andy Murray, whose locker was by his. When asked who his favorite athlete was, Tiafoe who says he has a pretty good jump shot, quickly said the NBA’s Kevin Durant and then spoke of the poignant speech Durant recently gave.
“It was unbelievable,” says Tiafoe. “It made me cry. What he says to his mother is unbelievable. Guys like that should really inspire young guys … He’s one of the best basketball players and he’s still that humble. A lot of juniors in the locker room are really big-headed now. I mean, we’re all good players, but we haven’t done anything yet. Yet, Kevin Durant being that humble is huge, and that helps me. Obviously, sometimes I’d get a little big-headed, but after [seeing[ that interview, I don’t think I’ll ever be big-headed.”
But what about all the attention he’s getting? In Paris, the American press corps swarmed. Tiafoe insists, “It’s no problem. You guys are here for a reason. I’m a top seed. You obviously want to hear the words I’m saying. I just cancel it out. I’m just going to worry about what really matters and that’s on the court … It’s been a lot. It’s been pretty exciting, though. Before you really realize, you’re doing something good, and you want to keep doing that. But I don’t let it get to my head, because there are plenty of others that haven’t made it … I don’t want to be playing on court 17 for the rest of my life.”
As for all the support he’s gotten from the Junior Tennis Champions Center and the USTA, Tiafoe says, “It’s crazy. Without sponsors, I wouldn’t be here. I can’t thank them enough. Hopefully, I keep getting better, so that they keep paying for my travels.”
Tiafoe’s journey in the singles draw ended against a big, little-known German Jan Choinski. Almost two years older than Tiafoe, Choinski came from behind to score a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.
Afterward, Tiafoe confided, “I was feeling pressure, me being the No. 1 seed. I was playing unbelievable tennis. Obviously, you are thinking you don’t want to lose in the second round … you are feeling pressure. I think it just comes out, all the emotions you feel inside, sometimes it just has to come out. Today it did more than usual.”
Downcast and sad, yet philosophical, Tiafoe said there were “no positives” that came out of the loss, adding, “There’re always bumps in the road. Nadal has lost in the first round at Wimbledon … I just have to get better every day. [Other] guys are getting better every week.”
Stil, there is no doubt that Tiafoe loves his quest, one that allows him to “be in the same locker room today as David Ferrer.” About hopes for the next year, he says, “The big goal is always to win the big four. Now that I didn’t take this one, I’m really hoping to do that at the Open, where the crowd is definitely for you every match.”
In the wake of his shock loss, Tiafoe told IT, “Right after I got out of the gate, [my coach] Misha said, ”It’s not about today, it’s about later’ … That was pretty smart for him to say. Obviously, it was a tough loss, but you don’t want to peak in the juniors. You want to peak in the pros. That’s what Misha really thinks about.” And so do a half-billion American tennis fans, who are craving a new leader—maybe even one who has an African father and lives around Washington D.C.
