Francis Tiafoe: 3 Things To Know About The Surprise U.S. Open Tennis Phenom
On Monday night (September 5), 24-year-old Frances Tiafoe defeated 22-time grand slam champion Rafael Nadal in a shocking upset at the U.S. Open.
He now becomes the youngest American man to reach the tournament’s quarterfinals since 2006.
The 26th-ranked Tiafoe beat Nadal 6-4, 4-6. 6-4. 6-3 in a match that lasted over three hours in the fourth round of the tournament. He called it a “hell of a performance” after handing Nadal his first Grand Slam loss of 2022.
"I felt like the world stopped," said Tiafoe during a press conference following the match, according to CBS News. "I couldn't hear anything for a minute."
So who is Frances Tiafoe? Tennis fans may know, but for those looking to find out more about him, below are three things to know about the rising star.
Tiafoe is a Maryland native inspired by Martín del Potro
Originally from Hyattsville, Maryland, the 24-year-old grew up in the DMV area where he had a special connection to the City Open. There, he admired 2009 U.S. Open Champion Martín del Potro who also defeated Nadal (though in the semis) and tennis phenom Roger Federer in the Grand Slam tournament final.
Tiafoe’s parents emigrated to the United States from Sierra Leone during the 1990s to escape that nation’s civil war. He was first exposed to tennis after his father worked as a day laborer constructing the Junior Tennis Champions Center in College Park in 1999.
He became the youngest-ever boys’ singles champion after winning the 2013 Orange Bowl
At 15 years old, Tiafoe became the youngest-ever boys’ singles champion at the 2013 Orange Bowl in Plantation, Florida. Two years later he was the youngest American in the main draw of the French Open since 1999 and saw major success on the ATP Challengers as a teen, making nine finals and winning four titles.
This isn’t the first time Tiafoe faced Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament
After officially turning pro in 2015, Tiafoe soon broke into the world’s top 100 and began rising at grand slam tournaments. He reached his first quarterfinal at the Australian Open in 2019 before losing to Nadal.
"Honestly, when I first came on the scene, I wasn't ready for it mentally and mature enough," he said on court after beating Nadal on Monday, according to CNN. "I've been able to develop and I have a great team around me. I'm happy I won in front of my mom, my dad, my girlfriend and my team and to have them see what I did."
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